HTC One M9 Benchmark Confirms Rumored Specs

HTC's next flagship smartphone has already leaked online a few days ago when someone published no less than three promo adds showing some of the main features of the One M9.

Previous to yesterday's leak, we received many details on HTC One M9's specs sheet. Although they haven't been confirmed by the Taiwanese company, it does seem multiple sources in the industry agree on the same set of hardware packs in the One M9. Now, a new benchmark confirms what we've been reported for the last couple of weeks. Dutch blog Mobifo reports HTC One M9 has been listed at GFX Bench and besides the benchmark scores we also get to see the phone's specifications. Unfortunately, there's no way we can confirm this is indeed the HTC One M9 being test, and we definitely can't assume that this is the final version of the smartphone. However, it might be one of the prototypes that's more closer to the final build.

That being said, it appears that HTC One M9 will indeed be equipped with a 2.GHz 64-bit quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor inside, an Adreno 430 graphics processing unit and 3GB of RAM. The tested version packs 32GB of internal memory, but shows only 23GB user-available which is quite standard for Android smartphones with that amount of storage.

Android 5.0 Lollipop and HTC Sense 7 UI on top

The benchmark also confirmed the One M9 will come with a 20-megapixel photo snapper on the back with 4K video recording, while in the front there will be a 4-UltraPixel camera for selfies and video calls, which also features full HD (1080p) video recording. HTC One M9 will sport a 5-inch display with full HD (1080p) resolution, but the Taiwanese company may launch a QHD version as well. Software-wise, the One M9 will be powered by Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system out of the box, with HTC Sense 7 UI on top. S

HTC One M9 will be officially unveiled this weekend, on March 1, so stay tune for more updates on the matter.

HTC One M9 benchmark
Image credits to GFX Bench

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Asus Zenfone 2 Scores Massive in Benchmark, Still 10K Short from Samsung Galaxy S6

Although most of the news today cover the upcoming flagship smartphones coming from Samsung or HTC, there are some handsets that deserve the same level of attention and Asus Zenfone 2 is one of those smarpthones.

Announced last month at Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the Zenfone 2's price has been confirmed to start at $200. However, Asus plans to launch more than one version of the Zenfone 2, so those who can afford will be able to grab the 4GB model, which is likely to cost more than $300. Asus confirmed its Zenfone 2 smartphone will come with Intel Atom Z3580 chipset that accommodates a quad-core processor clocked at 2.3GHz. The information has been recently confirmed by a few benchmark tests coming directly from China. If you ever doubt that an Asus smartphone could be the most powerful smartphone available on the market then these benchmark will show you that you're wrong.

First of all, the smartphone tested is a prototype unit equipped with a 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3580 processor, a PowerVR Rogue G6430 graphics processing unit and 2GB of RAM, so it's not even the 4GB version. Even so, the Zenfone 2 took over the benchmark ranks by scoring no less than 50,401 points. Coming in second is Meizu MX4, which is currently seen as world's most powerful smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge scored more than 60K points

The massive results produced in AnTuTu benchmark, even if it might seem impressive, it will only briefly help the Zenfone 2 take the crown for world's most powerful smartphone because Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge has scored more than 60K points. The question is how many points Asus Zenfone 2 with 4GB of RAM will be able to score. Even if will be lower than Galaxy S6's score, Zenfone 2 is much cheaper than Samsung's flagship smartphone, so that won't matter that much. So there you have it folks, Asus Zenfone 2 is not only a cheap high-end smartphone, but also a very powerful one.

AnTuTu benchmark

AnTuTu benchmark
Images credits to AnTuTu

CPU-Z benchmark

CPU-Z benchmark
Images credits CPU-Z

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BlackBerry Leap (Rio) Leaks in Real Life Photos

Yesterday fresh information emerged about the long-lost BlackBerry Rio which was rumored to exist back in 2014.

The BlackBerry Rio is supposed to be the Z10 sequel and will be offered with mid-range specification. But according to a recent rumor, the BlackBerry Rio will actually end up on the market under the BlackBerry Leap name. Today brings us more info about the BlackBerry Leap, including specifications and a few images actually showing the device in the flesh (as seen at N4BB). And judging by the images, it looks like a re-designed version of the Z3. Let’s take a peek at the specs: the BlackBerry Leap will apparently come with a 5-inch display with 1280 x 720 resolution and will draw life from a Snapdragon MSM8960 dual-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz in combination with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD card).

As for photography, selfie lovers will be pretty disappointed to find a 2MP shooter up in the front. Although maybe the 8MP frontal camera might help compensate somehow. The Leap should support Penta Band LTE + 4G hotspot, Wi-Fi 2.4GHz 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 and Miracast. The model runs the company’s latest BlackBerry 10.3.1 OS. The phone will be 9.5 mm / 0.37 inches (yes, not that sleek) in profile and will be supported by a 2800 mAh battery. The BlackBerry Rio is expected to launch around April/May and speculations indicate that it will be priced around $199 / €177.

BlackBerry Leap back side

BlackBerry Leap full back view

Choosing a language in BlackBerry Leap

BlackBerry Leaps phone details

BlackBerry Leap bottom side

BlackBerry Leap in profile
Images credits to N4BB

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First VAIO Smartphone Arrives with Snapdragon 410, Android 5.0 Lollipop

In an effort to concentrate all its strength on its smartphone business, Sony sold off its VAIO laptop brand last year.

Since then, the company has introduced several products retaining the unmistakable Sony feel. The latest are the VAIO Z and VAIO Z Canvas Ultrabooks which are the first to go official with a Broadwell-U Core i7. It seems VAIO will not be stopping at following the Sony legacy but will branch out into another product category, namely smartphones. According to information provided by GSM Dome, a VAIO phone has just popped up in benchmarks revealing possible specs for the device. The handset boasts a 5-inch display with 720p resolution and is powered by a 64-bit Snapdragon 410 MSM8916 chipset clocked at 1.2GHz and fitted with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage.

The upcoming VAIO model will also boast a 13MP/5MP camera setup and run Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box. Nothing here screams wow, but those nostalgic of the Sony VAIO era might be persuaded to pick one of these devices up. According to the information, VAIO will unveil the handset March 12, so if you’re interested, keep an eye out to learn of further details.

This is VAIO's first smartphone
Image credits to GSM Dome

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