HTC One M8: Essential Tips and Tricks

The HTC One M8 is a powerful device that includes many stand out features. If you happen to have one in your possession, then get ready for a list of the most essential tips and tricks one should be aware of when using their One M8. It’s worth noting that these tips and tricks are for One M8 units that have not been rooted.

Dot View Case

The Dot View Case for HTC One M8 is an accessory through which a user can view incoming notifications, the weather, and the time, when double tapped. Swiping down activates a voice dial feature, through which one can easily call contacts via voice commands. It costs $45 and can be bought through the official HTC website.

Motion Gestures

The HTC One M8 can be controlled through various motion gestures which enable users to access information quickly. It’s worth noting that these gestures are on active by default and are quite easy to use. They are explained as follows:1. Double tap to wake up the phone.2. Swipe from right to left to open Widgets.3. Swipe from left to right to open Blinkfeed.4. Swipe from bottom to top for Home.5. Swipe from top to bottom for Voice Dialing.

Do Not Disturb

HTC’s One M8 had this feature even before it came out in Android 5.0, and you can easily prevent any distractions for as long as you do not want to be disturbed. Tap on the Do Not Disturb option from the Quick Settings menu to toggle this feature on or off. Now you can easily avoid any unwanted calls and texts.

One M8 as TV Remote

Yes you read that right. In fact, you can practically use the device as a remote control for nearly all electronic devices, as the HTC One M8 features an Infra-red port on its top which will help you to control your TV, set top box, or home theater system. Download the TV app and get started.

Flip and Mute

With this feature, you can quickly silence an incoming call by simply flipping your HTC One M8. This won’t end the call, but allows you to easily ignore it. This is a handy feature when you are in meetings where you can quickly flip the phone if you forgot to put it on silent, saving yourself from the wrath of your boss or any other embarrassing situation in the office.

Kids Mode

The One M8 features a built in Kids Mode which will simply restrict the phone to educational and certain entertainment apps and videos, while keeping all other data away from the reach of young users. This mode comes in handy for all those parents who have mischievous kids at home. You can switch to this mode by holding down the power button and selecting the apps you want your kids to access. Kids cannot leave the mode unless they learn the precise pin number you use to activate it.

Make GIFs and Animated Photos

After you have finished snapping photos with HTC One M8’s Zoe , you can then turn them either into an animated photo or GIF which can be viewed without video loading. To do this, tap on the photo which you want to transform. Then tap on edit and then “GIF Creator”. Then choose the length of the GIF and save before choosing its size. You’ll then have made your own GIF.

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Samsung Galaxy S6 Will Trump the Apple iPhone 6, Here’s Why

Samsung Galaxy S6 Will Trump the Apple iPhone 6, Here’s Why

Samsung Galaxy S6 and iPhone 6 are going to be in direct competition when the South Korean giant finally announces its 2015 flagship phone later this year. Here are a few reasons why the Galaxy S6 will outsmart the Apple iPhone 6 upon its eventual release.

This article is a little unfair, since the iPhone 6 is already out and the Galaxy S6 is still being worked on. Still, we have an idea of what hardware will be inside the Galaxy S6, so we will be basing our reasoning in this article on what we think we know so far. I’m sure we will revisit this topic again when the Galaxy S6 is actually released, but for now we are going to talk about the aspects that we think we know about the device already.

More RAM on the Galaxy S6

This one is a given, but it should still be included. The iPhone 6 has 1GB of RAM and the Galaxy S5 already has 2GB of RAM. It is assumed that the Galaxy S6 will have at least 2GB of RAM, but some rumors are suggesting that Samsung will include 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM. No one really knows for sure exactly how much RAM the Galaxy S6 will have, but it is guaranteed to have more than the iPhone 6 does right now.

More Pixels

 

The iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch display with a resolution of 750 x 1334 pixels. This puts the pixels per inch count right around 326. Just like with the RAM, the Galaxy S5 already has more pixels than the iPhone 6 so the Galaxy S6 is guaranteed to have more as well. Some rumors have suggested the Samsung will opt for a 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. If this is true, this would give the Galaxy S6 534 pixels per inch. If they stick to the 5.1-inch display, like they have done with the Galaxy S5, then it would put the pixels per inch right around 575.

Faster LTE than iPhone 6

We already know that the iPhone 6 comes with Qualcomm’s MDM9625 LTE-A modem inside it. This chip is able to download up to 150MB per second from LTE towers. Not many carriers in the US can reach such speeds but there are some in other parts of the world that can, particularly those in South Korea. The Samsung Galaxy S6 is rumored to have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 SoC inside it. This means it will come equipped with a faster LTE modem. Getting into specifics, the LTE modem in the Snapdragon 810 is able to download up to 450MB per second.

Faster WiFi

The iPhone 6 is using the Broadcom BCM4339 WiFi chip. 

This means that the iPhone 6 is able to transfer data at speeds up to 433MB per second. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has the Broadcom BCM4358 chip inside it. We know the Galaxy Note 4 is able to transfer data up at up to 650MB per second. If the Galaxy S6 uses the same WiFi chip as the Galaxy Note 4, we can safely assume that the Galaxy S6 will have faster WiFi transfer speeds than the iPhone 6.

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Samsung Galaxy S6 Release Date, Features, Specs, Edge, & Project Zero Rumors !!

Samsung Galaxy S6 Release Date, Features, Specs, Edge, & Project Zero Rumors Confirmed by Reddit 'Verified' Samsung Insider?

A "verified" Samsung insider on Reddit seemingly spilled the beans on the Samsung Galaxy S6's release date, specs, Project Zero codename, single and dual-Edge variants and more.

A slew of recent, seemingly contradictory, rumors about the upcoming 2015 Samsung Galaxy S6 may all be true, if recent posts from a "verified" Reddit user claiming to be a Samsung employee, along with new leaked photos, turn out to be genuine. A release date, or at least the month in 2015 that you can look forward to getting the new GS6, may have also been confirmed in passing.

The majority of these rumor confirmations stems from a Reddit user's conversation over the past week, answering questions about the new flagship smartphone from Samsung. A Reddit user named "SamsungRep2015" -- who's post gained "verified" status from the Reddit moderator due to a picture showing he works with Samsung -- gave details on several GS6 rumors and ostensibly confirmed some specs for the new devices.

As we previously reported, several seemingly contradictory rumors have been flying around about the Galaxy S6, including two different rumored camera specs, two different "Edge" models, and a few other conflicting, unconfirmed, speculative details. And starting off the rumor mill was the report that the new Galaxy S model was codenamed "Project Zero" in reference to a from-the-ground-up redesign.

Well, according to SamsungRep2015 (via BGR), the Project Zero rumor is spot on, and it's actually that undertaking -- Samsung is being highly experimental, testing and rapidly changing designs and prototyping multiple variants of the S6 throughout Project Zero's development -- that is chiefly behind this year's marked diversity of specs rumors.

It's also a reason not to lock in your hopes into any one specific rumored GS6 variant at the moment.

"Project Zero is indeed a real thing. I've also seen two different GS6 Edge variants, one with the normal Youm display on the Edge, and one with dual curved edges," wrote SamsungRep2015. "However, when I went to my orientation, a few weeks before the S5 came out I got to physically see the 5.2 inch version. Samsung prototypes a lot and things change extremely rapidly."

So the single and dual Edge variant rumors may both technically be true, but since they're both part of the experimental prototype phase, it doesn't mean you can depend on either of them showing up in the finished product. And from the details and tone of SamsungRep2015's cautionary caveat, the previously-rumored 5.5-inch screen bump might be a thing as well.

SamsungRep2015 continued, adding some details about improved performance, hinting that the famously bloated TouchWiz interface might be finally slimmed down, and possibly confirming the month you can expect the Samsung Galaxy S6's release date to land this spring 2015:

As far as performance, benchmarks are noticeably higher but not by earth-shattering amounts. Overall device responsiveness is vastly improved, and memory consumption is way down. Some builds have freed over a gig of memory consumption from cold boot... not just specs Samsung is focusing on this time around. I've heard lots of rumblings about crazy new designs (and I'm not just talking Galaxy Alpha 'redesigns' either.) Spec-wise though, that all lines up with what I've seen/heard, but again there's quite a good chunk of time between now and April.

Those possible specs include a 64-bit Snapdragon 810 (or the new Samsung Exynos 7 Octa for Korea/International variants), a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED QHD display (we'll have to wait and see about the screen's "Edges"), IP 67 water and dust resistance, and either a 16- or 20-megapixel camera.

A note of caution: Samsung hasn't officially confirmed any of these rumors, and while BGR and SamMobile both initially published the story with few caveats, neither confirmed SamsungRep2015's comments with their anonymous independent inside sources.

And since then, the "SamsungRep2015" account has been deleted from Reddit, along with most of his comments.

However, a related post by SamsungRep2015, seemingly confirming the January 2015 release date of the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for several Samsung devices, is still up on Reddit and similarly marked as "moderator verified" (see this article for more details).

So either SamsungRep2015's other comments disappeared because only the Android L update seemed to be credible after a day's worth of verification, or the account was a disposable burner used either to hoax everyone -- or, hopefully, to spill the secrets he knew and then cover his tracks.

So take however many grains of salt with these rumors you feel necessary, but, at least at this point, it seems that we're in for an interesting spring 2015 from Samsung.

TagsSamsung Galaxy S6 Release Date, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, Samsung Galaxy S6 Rumors, Release Date, Rumors, Project Zero.

Source : Latin Post

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Protect your iPhone 6

Protect your iPhone 6 from spills, splashes, and submersion with one of these 11 cases

We were hoping that Apple might take a little inspiration from Sony and make the new iPhone 6 and the 6 Plus waterproof, or at least water resistant. One of the most common culprits for smartphone damage is liquids. Phones get dunked in the toilet, dropped in puddles, and have drinks spilled all over them. You can take your chances, or you can shop for water resistant or waterproof iPhone 6 cases.

Updated on 1-02-2015 by Joe Donovan: added new cases by Lunatik and New Trent and up-to-date information for Incipio, Catalyst, and Lifeproof.

Lifeproof Fre Case ($80)

One of the best waterproof iPhone 6 case manufacturers is Lifeproof (now owned by Otterbox), which has a reputation for delivering consistently dependable iPhone cases. The Fre has a scratch resistant touchscreen cover and can also be submerged in up to 2 meters of water for up to an hour. For waterproof cases, Lifeproof is tough to beat on usability and style.

Griffin Survivor All-Terrain ($50) 

Griffin Survivor All-Terrain

This water-resistant case comes from a big name manufacturer you can trust. These cases meet military standard 810G, so drop damage up to 2 meters is not a problem. They also keep the rain out, as every angle of the phone is covered, but there’s no guarantee it will cope with submersion. The iPhone 6 Plus version costs $10 more.

New Trent Trentium Case for iPhone 6 ($22)

This water resistant case is best for anyone who wants to mix things up. Maybe you don’t need a completely waterproof case, but you’d like something that’ll shed water and not look like a brick. This is your best bet–rubber bumper seals the ports and keeps debris and moisture out. The case includes replaceable rear panels in silver, gold, and “gun metal.”

LK Waterproof Case ($13)

This case can be submerged in 3 meters of water for up to 30 minutes. It will also keep dust, dirt, snow, or ice away from your iPhone 6. There is one major catch though; it won’t allow you to use your phone when it’s inside. The Touch ID, the touchscreen, and even the buttons are not accessible. It’s really a waterproof storage case.

JOTO Waterproof Bag ($10)

If you already have a case for everyday wear and you just want a waterproof solution for days at the beach or out on a lake, then you could just opt for a bag like this and avoid spending a lot. It will fit a wide variety of devices including the iPhone 6. You can see the phone and even use it through the clear windowed sides. The snap lock at the top keeps it completely safe from the elements, and there’s a strap to make it easy to carry or hang round your neck.

iBeek Waterproof Case ($17)

There’s a version of this for the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, but it is suspiciously cheap for a rugged case. It claims to be waterproof up to 6 meters depth for up to 12 hours. It also claims to be dust, snow, and shockproof, but we’re a little skeptical about the quality you’ll be getting here. Reviews are mixed and we’re not sure the Touch ID will work with the case on. Could be worth a gamble, but we haven’t had a chance to test it so proceed with caution.

Supcase Unicorn Beetle Case

Supcase Unicorn Beetle Case ($25)

This one definitely isn’t waterproof, but it is a rugged case that should safeguard the iPhone 6 against light rain and the odd splash. It offers all around protection and that includes a built-in screen protector and port covers. Cut-outs for the camera and speaker mean that any submersion is still going to be disastrous, but this is one of the cheapest rugged cases around that is still decent quality.

Related: The bigger they come, the harder they fall: Our favorite iPhone 6 Plus cases

Coming soon Catalyst Waterproof Case ($70)

Catalyst expects to start shipping waterproof cases for the iPhone 6 in mid-January, delayed from the case’s initially slated December release date. The manufacturer made a solid line of cases for the iPhone 5S that were IP68 rated, waterproof up to 5 meters, and also tested to military standards 810G, which means drops and bumps are not a problem. You’ll also be able to use your iPhone 6 while it’s in the case and that includes the touchscreen, Touch ID, and the physical buttons. You can preorder now.

Incipio Atlas Case

The waterproof case Incipio made for the iPhone 5S could handle depths of 2 meters for up to 30 minutes. It also allowed you to use the Touch ID, though some reviews complained about it making the touchscreen hard to use and muffling audio. We’d expect Incipio to improve the line with the iPhone 6 version, so it could be worth waiting for.

OtterBox Preserver Case

As one of the biggest brands in rugged cases, OtterBox has already released a line for the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, but it hasn’t yet updated the waterproof Preserver series that was released for the iPhone 5S. It could handle submersion up to 2 meters for up to 30 minutes and provided sturdy drop protection too, all without preventing you from actually using the touchscreen, Touch ID, or buttons.

Lunatik Aquatik Case ($100)

Available early spring. This one of the few fully waterproof cases with a slim and colorful design, though Lifeproof has a line of colorful cases debuting in the spring too. TouchID compatabile and rated to IP68, which means the case will, at least, protect your phone when submerged for 30 minutes in 3 feet of water. Lunatik has another, beefier case that’ll withstand higher impact falls.

Alternative water resistance solutions

If you don’t want to stick your iPhone 6 in a chunky waterproof or water resistant case or bag then you might consider another approach. You could get your iPhone treated with a liquid repellant coating that could save it in the event of a splash, spill, or even a dunk.

You could also try Liquipel. For $60 they’ll coat an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, but you do have to send your phone to them and it will take a couple of days to get it back.

There’s also a service called Impervious that sells kits. The full waterproofing kit ($40 for iPhone 6, $50 for iPhone 6 Plus) requires some tinkering and you’ll have to take your iPhone apart to properly apply it. They also offer an exterior spray kit ($30 for iPhone 6 or 6 Plus), but it won’t safeguard your phone from submersion.

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'Price Is Right' contestants think iPhone 6 costs $7,500

In the New Year's "best of" edition of the famous game show, contestants aren't too sure at all about how much an iPhone costs.

 

16GB iPhone 6 costs, well, how much? Price Is Right.

Being a game show contestant is a little like making a speech to Congress naked.

You're already so exposed that the chances of impressing are small.

However, on the New Year's edition of "The Price Is Right," the question of what an iPhone 6 might cost exposed -- well, you decide. The show was revisiting some of its greatest moments of the year.

Here we had a 16GB iPhone with a one-year calling plan, 4 gigs of data and unlimited talk and text . Who would guess what it cost?

The first contestant offered $7,500. Which seemed a little steep, even for Apple prices.

The next one knew better. Or at least thought he did. For he guessed $7,501.

The third was a little more sanguine: $850. The last lady suggested $930.

At this point, presenter Drew Carey's face resembled that of a man who had swallowed a wasp's nest. He mused: "I hope the marketing people at Apple are watching this."

I'm almost certain that Jony Ive doesn't miss an episode. As for the marketing people, well, perhaps they're too busy for such fripperies.

Should you wonder what the right price was, it was $1,969. Which, when you give it careful consideration, is still a remarkably large amount of money.

It may well be that the first contestant was merely dazzled by being on the show, while the second was doing that thing that game-show people do of not thinking but just betting on one number more.

I wonder, though, whether one or two of Apple's marketing executives might now be wondering: "Hey, are we charging enough?"

(Via Mediaite)

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Apple sued because iPhone isn't really 16 GB Really?

  How much does your iPhone really cost? NEW YORK (CNNMoney) If you have a 16 GB iPhone, you've probably noticed that you don't really have 16 GB of storage space -- some of that space is taken up by Apple's iOS software. But you probably haven't thought to sue Apple over it.

That's the difference between you and two Apple (AAPL, Tech30) customers in Miami who sued Apple for their incredible shrinking storage.

The plaintiffs filed their lawsuit in a California federal court on Tuesday, and they are seeking permission to make their complaint a class action suit. They are seeking more than $5 million in damages for what they say is Apple's false advertising.

Apple's new iOS 8 software takes up 3 GB of storage on an iPhone 6. That's 19% of the phone's 16 GB of advertised storage. The iOS 8 software takes up 20% of an iPhone 6 Plus' storage and 21% of an iPad's free space.

"Apple's misrepresentations and omissions are deceptive and misleading because they omit material facts that an average consumer would consider in deciding whether to purchase its products," the plaintiffs say in their complaint.

Rather than try to cram everything into what little space they have on their smartphones, many people choose to back up their photos, videos and other content on cloud services, such as Apple's iCloud. But the plaintiffs say that's all part of Apple's game.

"Apple exploits the discrepancy between represented and available capacity for its own gain by offering to sell, and by selling, cloud storage capacity to purchasers whose internal storage capacity is at or near exhaustion," the complaint says.

Apple did not reply to a request for comment.

Related: Is Apple the perfect stock?

This is not the first time Apple has been sued for misleading customers about storage space. In 2007, angry iPod Nano customers filed a lawsuit against Apple for only providing 7.45 GB of storage in their 8 GB iPods (less than 7% for those scoring at home). That case was ultimately dismissed.

Other companies have faced similar lawsuits. Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) was sued in 2012 for falsely advertising the amount of storage available to Surface tablet customers. But those tablets, which run the much more data-intensive Windows operating system, actually have less than half their 32 GB of advertised storage available for customers' use.

Related: iPads won't be stuffing stockings this year

Related: Surface goes after MacBook

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Samsung Galaxy S6 Rumors: Multiple Prototypes Reportedly Being Tested, Some With Curved Edge Screens

Could this be the next Samsung Galaxy S6 ?

An anonymous Samsung employee has reportedly confirmed previous rumors that the South Korean technology giant is planning a massive overhaul of its next-generation flagship smartphone, dubbed the Galaxy S6, which is being developed under the codename, “Project Zero.” The purported official source also revealed more information about the Galaxy S6, adding that the company is testing several prototypes of the upcoming handset.

Confirming that “Project Zero” is the real deal, the Samsung employee -- who goes by the username SamsungRep2015 on Reddit -- claimed that Samsung is working on at least three variants of the Galaxy S6, SamMobile reported. According to the employee, one of the variants features a normal display, while the other two are being tested with a one-sided curved edge screen and dual-sided curved edge displays. 

“Project Zero is indeed a real thing. I’ve also seen two different GS6 Edge variants, one with the normal Youm display on the Edge, and one with dual curved edges,” the Samsung employee reportedly wrote on Reddit. “However, when I went to my orientation, a few weeks before the S5 came out I got to physically see the 5.2 inch version. Samsung prototypes a lot and things change extremely rapidly.”

Samsung's mobile business has suffered over the past few quarters, with growing competition from main rival Apple, and several low-cost producers in fast-growing markets like China and India.

Initial details about “Project Zero” appeared in November with media reports claiming that the plan is part of Samsung’s broader overhaul strategy, as the company was rumored to be developing the Galaxy S6 from scratch. The code name for the Galaxy S6 is also different from ones used in earlier versions of Galaxy-branded smartphones, such as Galaxy S5 (Project K), Galaxy S4 (Project J), Galaxy Note 3 (Project H) and Galaxy Note 4 (Project T).

Here are more details from SamsungRep2015, first reported by BGR:

As far as performance, benchmarks are noticeably higher but not by earth shattering amounts. Overall device responsiveness is vastly improved, and memory consumption is way down. Some build have freed over a gig of memory consumption from cold boot… [It’s] not just specs Samsung is focusing on this time around. I’ve heard lots of rumblings about crazy new designs (and I’m not just talking Galaxy Alpha ‘redesigns’ either.) Spec wise though, that all lines up with what I’ve seen/heard, but again there’s quite a good chunk of time between now and April.

Rumors have it that the Galaxy S6 could feature a larger, 5.5-inch QHD display with a screen resolution of 2560x1440 pixels, a 20-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera. The device could be powered by a 64-bit octa-core Exynos 7420 processor and 3GB RAM, and the phone could run on the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system.

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Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Vs iPhone 6 Plus Vs LG G3: Specs, Hardware, Design, Display, And Prices Showdown! Which Device Is The Best Purchase?

(Photo : Michael Buckner | Getty Images Entertainment)

Which of these devices is the best purchase? The Samsung Galaxy Note 4, the iPhone 6 Plus, or the LG G3

In terms of design and display, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has the biggest screen among the three, It measures 5.7 inches and it’s Super AMOLED has a resolution of 1440×2560 pixels at 515ppi. The LG G3 supports the same resolution, but offers a higher pixel density of 534ppi on its 5.5inches True HD IPS LCD, outperforming the iPhone 6 Plus 5.5 inches Retina HD IPS LCD display which has a smaller resolution of 1920×1080 pixels with 401ppi.

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The Apple device's thickness is at 7.1 mm, and weighs 172 grams. The Samsung phablet features a polycarbonate rear cover with faux leather pattern but it lacks the fake stitching from the edges. There is a metal frame surrounding the edges and physical button on the front panel hiding the fingerprint scanner. However it does not have protection against water and dust and it’s thicker at 8.5mm compared to 8.1mm. The LG G3 has also a plastic back but with a metal finish (faux brushed aluminum) and a floating arc design. It’s thicker than the other two devices, measuring 8.9 mm, but lighter at 149 grams.

For the hardware, and OS, the iPhone 6 Plus has a A8 chipset partnered with a dual-core Cyclone processor, clocked at 1.4GHz, that pairs with a Power VR GX6650 GPU and it has has 1GB of RAM. It supports better multitasking and it’s extremely fast, but its main disadvantage is that it comes with unexpandable internal memories and you have to choose between 16, 64 and 128GB.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 features a quad-core Snapdragon 805 CPU clocked at 2.7GHz and has 3GB of RAM and Adreno 420 graphics. It offers a similar performance as the iPhone 6 Plus, but in terms of internal storage, it supports a microSD card slot to expand the capacity from 64GB to 128GB.

The LG G3 has quad-core Snapdragon 801 CPU clocked at 2.5GHz, an Adreno 330 GOU and 2GB or 3GB of RAM for 16GB or 32GB of internal storage, but this phone also supports expansion up to 128GB.

For the camera and battery specs, the iPhone 6 Plus is Apple’s first smartphone equipped with optical image stabilization, but the iSight camera has the same resolution of 8MP. It features an f/2.2 aperture, phase detection autofocus, sapphire crystal lens cover, HDR and video recording capabilities at 1080p@60FPS with OIS. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 camera supports 3546×4068 pixel instead of 3264×2448 pixels, and also features OIS and HDR, but it it’s capable of recording 2160p@30FPS, but 4K is also present on the LG G3, which has a 13MP rear camera, but with OIS+ laser sensor and laser autofocus. It supports 3840x2160pixel and video capture 2160p@30fps.

iPhone 6 Plus 16GB cost $749 without a contract and $299 with a two-year contract. The 64GB variant costs $399 off contract and $849 with a two-year contract and users could add $100 for the 128GB variant. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 cost $ 723, and the LG G3 16GB variant cost $425, while the 32GB variant is $115 more expensive.

source:  KDramaStars.com

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Samsung could abolish bloatware lags in Galaxy S6 with TouchWiz built from scratch

Santa it seems hasn’t been the only one busy in the workshop, Samsung has been reported to be working on building the user interface for their next Android smartphone, the Galaxy S6, from scratch. This could do away with many bloatware and lag problems that the company's phones had previously experienced.

  

The Galaxy S6 will have TouchWiz built up from scratch, and possibly a slopped screen like the Galaxy Note Edge. / © ANDROIDPIT

Each time Samsung brought out a new phone, it would patch and refurbish the existing user interface without bothering to start from scratch. This means that many Sammy phones were based on the very old Gingerbread version of Android, which was the cause of all the pesky bugs and lags. Thanks to recent information from an alleged Samsung rep SamsungRep2015 on Reddit, it now seems that Samsung will be starting fresh with the Galaxy S6 and using the newest APIs that are used for Android 5.0 Lollipop.

As far as legacy features, in not 100% sure what is being brought forward, mostly because they didn’t just do a patch to the newest release from their existing codebase like usual, they built it from scratch.

Samsung is said to be working on a few new prototypes of the Galaxy S6 with the fresh faced version of TouchWiz. One of the models in question is reported to look like the Galaxy Note Edge, meaning that one side is sloped in providing a second display which adds a lot more functionality to the phone. The other prototypes are one with a dual-sided curved display, and another with just a regular display.

Project Zero is indeed a real thing. I’ve also seen two different GS6 Edge variants, one with the normal Youm display on the Edge, and one with dual curved edges. However, when I went to my orientation, a few weeks before the S5 came out I got to physically see the 5.2 inch version. Samsung prototypes a lot and things change extremely rapidly.

The Galaxy S6 has been rumored to be unveiled at the CES 2015 which kicks off in a few days in early January, however other sources mention that the Mobile World Congress in February would be more realistic.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Galaxy S6! Read more about Galaxy S6 rumors on tech specs, release date, price and other pieces of news.

Are you looking forward to a fresh new user interface for Samsung's next smartphone? Would this persuade you to make the Galaxy S6 your next phone?

Via: Android Headlines Source: Sammobile

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Smartphones Face-Off: BlackBerry Classic Vs. iPhone 6 Vs. Galaxy S5

It would be interesting to pit three smartphone devices from Blackberry, Apple and Samsung which have marked the year with a bang. As the year ends, it will be relevant to take another look at the design, specs, features and prices of some of the big names in the smartphone category for 2014. The stiff rivalry is on, among the Blackberry Classic, the iPhone 6 and the Galaxy S5.

Design

The Blackberry Classic which is making its comeback still sports its trademark QWERTY keyboard yet with a fresher approach and a much bigger display.  The Classic's "throwback" feel targets to entice the old users of this BlackBerry device and hopes to attract new users as well. However, in an era where in touch-enabled smartphones abound, the BlackBerry Classic is sure to have a hard time competing in the design category.

The iPhone 6 on the other hand obviously has an edge in this category. According to Forbes, this device sports beautifully chartered edges and has a matt aluminum uni-body back and edges. However, the iPhone 6 still has some adjustments to do. Its protruding camera is getting some bad feedback from consumers and even from people at Apple's headquarters.               

Samsung's Galaxy S5 appears to be the more practical handset but its rectangular form does not fit to everyone's taste. The S5's texture and curves makes this high-end device easier and nicer to hold.

Processor and Operating System

Compared to its rivals, the BlackBerry Classic's processor seems to be weaker. The Classic is equipped with Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon dual-core 1.5GHz Krait. Meanwhile, the Classic uses its very own operating system, the BlackBerry 10 OS 10.3.1 allowing the device to perform almost at par with its rivals.

The iPhone 6 is powered by 1.39GHz dual-core A8 processor with 64-bit architecture and 1GB of RAM. Apple's flagship device uses its own iOS 8 as its platform and according to the company, the new OS is packed with a handful of features which provides better experience for its users. It offers features like an app which gathers health and fitness data to be used by doctors for health analysis and the benefit of using Siri to control other devices owned by the users.

Samsung's Galaxy S5 is powered by Snapdragon 801 system chip (MSM8974-AC) which happens to be the most powerful version available, as reported by Phone Arena. Its processor sports the super-fast quad-core Krait 400 CPU that has an impressive clock frequency of 2.5GHz and it is also equipped with Adreno 330 graphics processing unit. About its OS, Samsung still has to confirm when the S5 will get the Android Lollipop. However, rumours say that the big change will commence by December of this year.

Camera

Apparently, the Blackberry Classic sports a mediocre camera with 8-megapixels which produces a resolution of 3,264 x 2,448 pixels, while iPhone 6's camera has the option to shoot 1080p HD videos at 60fps, 240-fps slo-mo and time lapse video. Samsung S5 boasts its powerful 16MP camera which is one of the best in the market.

Memory and Storage

The Classic is equipped with 2GB internal memory which is higher compared to the iPhone 6. Its storage on the other hand can be increased to 128GB through its micro-SD functionality. Apple's iPhone 6 offers 128GB storage without the need to upgrade via micro-SD, while the S5 comes with either 16GB or 32GB of internal memory and it also has the option to increase up to 128GB via micro-SD card.

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Samsung rumors, release date: Galaxy S6 will be made of metal

Recent leaks have revealed that Samsung Galaxy S6 will be a metal-clad smartphone with curved display and heart rate sensors.

The unveiling of the Galaxy S5 successor is expected to happen during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona on March 2-5, 2015. Since Galaxy S2 in 2011, this has been Samsung's launch pad for new flagship smartphones. Market availability is anticipated a few weeks after MWC.

According to Mirror UK, the number one smartphone manufacturer in the world is going for a pocket-sized 5.2-inch display, which is the same league as the HTC Desire Eye.

Pundits believe that it is high time for Samsung to introduce real innovations into their flagship phones that are considered the standard bearer of Android-powered devices.

According to a recent Yahoo! report, Samsung is building the Galaxy brand from scratch. Rumors have it that the project is codenamed "Project Zero". Apparently, they are not happy with how things are going for the S series as sales and consumer interest have dwindled.

This year, Samsung answered Apple's iPhone 6 models with Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Samsung Galaxy Edge. Unlike previous years, the South Korean smartphone makers fell short before the warm worldwide reception of the new iPhones.

Apple's iPhone 6 easily swept the mobile landscape and became the most popular gadget of 2014.

Samsung has yet to confirm anything at the moment. The only project that is certain now is the Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition, which was launched in the United States early December.

Aside from the problem-solving they need to work on to topple competition in the smartphone market, Samsung will have to ensure that they have a strong bet in the booming wearables industry. Apple is set to unwrap Apple Watch early this year.

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iPhone 6 Plus Is Hurting Tablet Sales

The huge iPhone 6 Plus may be selling very well, but it is hurting the tablet market which Apple excelled at with the release of the iPad in 2010. It is believed that the iPhone 6 Plus is largely contributing to the swift fall in sales of the iPad. In the week leading up to Christmas, tablet activations represented just 11 percent of newly activated mobile devices. Just one year ago, they represented 17 percent.

Perhaps Apple waited three years to launch the iPhone 6 Plus because they feared it would hurt the tablet market. In 2011, Samsung launched the Galaxy Note. Most thought the device would be a failure. Needless to say, they were wrong. Now, Apple has pulled ahead of Samsung in sales with the iPhone 6 Plus. As CNET notes, the 6 Plus, along with the regular iPhone 6, have spiked a huge increase in Apple sales worldwide.

The iPhone 6 Plus has received excellent reviews with some giving the 6 Plus a perfect 5-star rating. Sean Hollister from Gizmodo was, perhaps, the most enthusiastic reviewer.

“At a glorious 5.5 inches diagonal, Apple’s giant new handset has practically everything a modern Android lover adores: a giant 1080p screen, a crazy-fast processor, an impressive camera, a battery that doesn’t quit, and yes: a landscape keyboard. If you’re already an Apple iPhone owner lusting after a Samsung Galaxy Note-sized screen, there’s little question that you should buy an iPhone 6 Plus.”

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iOS 8.1.2 iPhone 6 Review

About three months ago, Apple pushed out its current iOS 8 update, iOS 8.1.2. iOS 8.1.2 is a small bug fix update but it’s one that’s had both a positive and negative effect on iOS 8 powered iPhones and iPads. With that in mind, we want to revisit Apple’s iPhone 6 iOS 8.1.2 update three weeks after the software’s release.

Apple’s taken a long windy road to get to its current iOS 8.1.2 update. In September, Apple’s iOS 8 update pushed out and almost immediately, iOS 8 problems started plaguing owners of the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. This is typical of a major iOS update and we, and many others, expected Apple to push out an iOS 8.0.1 update shortly after its arrival.

Right on cue, Apple pushed out an iOS 8.0.1 update with assorted bug fixes on board though it did not have the intended results. While it did deliver some fixes, it also broke cellular connectivity and Touch ID for some users. These issues forced Apple to quickly go back to the drawing board and a day later, the company conjured up an iOS 8.0.2 update that tackled those problems and delivered the rest of the fixes to those that did not upgrade to iOS 8.0.1.

Despite the arrival of these two updates, complaints about iOS 8 continued and over the past couple of months, Apple’s worked hard to squash the remaining iOS 8 problems.

First, the company pushed out a massive iOS 8.1 bug fixer. Then, the company followed that up with an iOS 8.1.1 update that, unlike most smaller updates, went through the beta program. And then, nearly three weeks ago, Apple pushed out iOS 8.1.2, a small bug fixer aimed at countering a problem with iTunes ring tones.

We continue to get bombarded with questions about iOS 8.1.2’s stability and questions about its worthiness. In other words, people still want feedback and many others want to know if it’s worth the risk. I’ve spent a solid three weeks with the iOS 8.1.2 iPhone 6 update and today I want to relay feedback to those of you in need.

iPhone 6 iOS 8.1.2 Review: Three Weeks Later

From December 9th up to today, I’ve spent a ton of time with iOS 8.1.2 on iPhone 6. The iPhone 6, after all, is my daily driver.

Before getting into this updated review and my impressions, I should note that mileage is going to vary from device to device, person to person. That is to say, I probably don’t have the same apps installed and there’s a chance that I use Google Chrome, play more games, and use my home screen more than you do. So, consider this a general guide as you try to decide whether iOS 8.1.2 is worth installing on your iPhone 6.

Apps

My app experience remains solid three weeks into the iOS 8.1.2 era. I’ve seen the occasional Google Chrome crash but all of my other core applications (Slack, Asana, Gmail, Instagram, Twitter, Amazon, Dark Sky, and others) are performing as well as they ever have. I haven’t run into any stability issues other than those browser crashes.

Better yet, I haven’t heard or seen many complaints about apps after the iOS 8.1.2 update. My colleagues are all getting solid performance out of their applications and many of the iPhone 6 users I’ve spoken with over the past three weeks are reporting the same.

If you are having issues with applications right now on iOS 8.1.2 or some other iOS update, my suggestion is to go ahead and install as many bug fix updates as you can. Most of the time, they are going to help. You should also think about switching automatic updates on. In the past, I used to forget to install bug fixers. Now, I don’t even have to think about it.

iOS 8.1.2 Battery Life

Battery life is obviously an integral piece of the iPhone (and iOS) puzzle. It’s also one of the areas that is often affected in the hours, days, and weeks after an iOS update. I’ve been getting a ton of feedback about iOS 8.1.2 battery life in the weeks after its release and for the most part, people are still getting a solid charge. There are some bad apples, there always are, but the majority of user feedback has been positive.

I haven’t experienced any problems with iOS 8.1.2 battery life. My iPhone 6 still holds an extremely solid charge and I’m able to get a full day of use out of the phone when using a mixture of Wi-Fi and LTE. I’ve been doing some traveling for the holidays and I’ve had to rely on LTE a bit more than usual and I haven’t seen any issues with drain there either.

iOS updates like iOS 8.1.2 aren’t supposed to bring battery life problems along with them and typically, bad battery life is caused by third-party apps or by users themselves. I’ve outlined a number of strategies to get better battery life inside iOS 8.1.2 and I recommend taking a look at those tips if you do run into problems after getting the update on board.

Wi-Fi, LTE & Bluetooth

Connectivity is still fine for the most part. Bluetooth and AT&T’s LTE network are still very solid after three weeks though I have run into the occasional problem with Wi-Fi. It might be a router problem, it might be an Apple problem, I don’t know but occasionally my iPhone 6 will just drop the Wi-Fi connection in favor of LTE. Wi-Fi is on and by default, the phone is supposed to stay connected to a Wi-Fi network. This problem only started happening in the past week so it makes me wonder.

I’ve tried some of the solutions from our list of possible fixes and since I reset my network settings, my Wi-Fi performance has improved. It’s a trick that I constantly recommend and it’s one that might have done the job here. I’ll know for sure when I go a couple of days straight without stumbling into a Wi-Fi issue.

If you’re running into problems, try that fix. You might also want to think about upgrading your router if the problems are consistent. Newer devices and new iOS updates have been known to present difficulties for those with older routers and modems.

Bugs & Issues

So far, so good. iOS 8.1.2 is very stable on the iPhone 6 and I haven’t noticed any weird bugs, things like random reboots or buggy mail. It’s working fine after three weeks and that’s a very positive sign moving forward.

One of my colleagues claims that the landscape issues that plagued the iPhone 6 in the days after its release are back. I haven’t run into any landscape issues after getting the iOS 8.1.2 on board. The issues on his iPhone 6 are infrequent but they’re still a nuisance nonetheless.

I haven’t been able to find any large bugs but smaller bugs are harder to catch and they might only pop up when doing something very specific. I haven’t noticed any but it’s possible that I’ll notice something in the future. For now, iOS 8.1.2 is extremely stable on the iPhone 6.

If you do stumble into problems, have a look at our rundown of bug fixes for iOS 8.1.2 problems. These are a good starting point but you’ll probably also want to gather fixes from other places as well.

Speed

The iPhone 6 is still very fast and fluid and I haven’t run into any sluggishness or slowdown. This is huge given how much I use the iPhone 6 and I’m hopeful that the device retains its speed for the foreseeable future.

Is iOS 8.1.2 for iPhone 6 Worth It?

Here’s how I see it. If you’re on iOS 8.0.1 or below and you’re not dealing with any problems, you don’t need to install this update right now. If you’re on iOS 8 and you’re dealing with problems, I would recommend installing iOS 8.1.2. There’s a good chance it will patch up some of the problems you’ve been seeing on the iPhone 6.

If rumors are correct, we could see an iOS 8.1.3 update emerge out of Cupertino sometime soon. iOS 8.2 is also making a ton of progress. So if you’re nervous, you can go ahead and wait for those. Just remember both updates have the potential to deliver problems of their own.

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