T3 India

smartphones

HTC’s next flagship will be called the One A9

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According to prolific leakster @evleaks, it's actually called the HTC One A9. We always knew the ‘Aero’ alias was a codename, and from the look of the branding that he’s tweeted, we’re inclined to believe he’s got this one right.

From what we’ve heard previously, the One A9 will be one of the world's first devices to be powered by the deca-core (that's 10 cores) MediaTek Helio X20 processor. Let that sink in.

On top of that, it’s been rumoured to feature a Quad HD (1440 x 2560 pixels) display, 4GB of RAM as well as a beefy rear camera that captures images in the RAW format. That last bit sounds great, but let’s just hope the One A9 has enough storage space to hold them, otherwise it may prove an issue.

Whatever the spec sheet, we’re just hoping it’ll have the design to match. While we had a lot of love for the One M9 (it got 4/5 stars in our hands-on review), we felt that its design was too similar to the previous One M8 and One M7. Maybe HTC will break the mould with the One A9? We hope so.

It will need to offer something new as it faces stiff competition from the newly launched Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ as well as Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6S and Google’s new Nexus.

What would you like to see from the One A9? Let us know in the comments below or drop us a line on Facebook.

LG Nexus 5 may be here sooner than we thought

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We’re hearing mumblings from a South Korean media outlet, which claims that LG is eyeing a September 29 release date for its upcoming Nexus 5 smartphone.  

Google has always held an October slot for its Nexus series, so it would certainly be a surprise to see the tech giant abandon its long-standing release cycle. Although what is probably more likely is that Google may announce the LG Nexus 5 on September 29, but not actually sell it until October.

As always, there’s no way for us to confirm this news, so take this with a serious pinch of salt. Although it’s worth noting that the same source also got the release date right for the previous Nexus 5 ahead of its launch, so it may well know something the rest of us do not.  

Either way, we’re confident that LG’s Nexus 5 won’t be the only Nexus device launching this year. We’ve heard plenty suggesting that Google is also working on a second Nexus phone with Chinese manufacturer Huawei, said to be a phablet-sized successor to last year’s Nexus 6.

There’s also a chance we might see a Nexus tablet alongside them. The rumour mill kicked off this week when the Nexus 8 appeared on a Benchmarking site, and then in the form of a dummy unit in a couple of leaked images.

Do you think we’ll see a trio of Nexus devices on September 29? Share your thoughts in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook. 

Galaxy S6 edge+ releasing in India on August 28

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One thing that was unmistakable after Samsung’s announcement of the Galaxy S6 edge+ and the Galaxy Note 5 was the urgency shown by the company to unveil its cutting-edge products (really, no pun intended!). The phones will go on sale in many countries this week and if you’re in India, you’ll be able to get your hands on the Galaxy S6 edge+ from August 28. Priced at Rs 57,900, the phone is not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but the premium pricing promises premium features, like a larger display than the Galaxy S6 edge.

The phone features a 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED screen (2560×1440) with a dual-edge display, 16 and 5 megapixel rear and front-facing cameras, Android 5.1, 14nm 64-bit octa-core Exynos processor, 4GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, and a fingerprint and heart rate sensor. There’s also 4K UHD video-recording support and YouTube Live broadcasting support.

In terms of dual edge display, Samsung has improved People edge for contacts and introduced Apps edge for favourite apps.

BlackBerry Porsche Design P’9983 Graphite now available in India

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BlackBerry has launched its premium Porsche Design P’9983 Graphite for the Indian market. The exclusive device will be available at a hefty price tag of Rs. 99,990. Designed by Porsche Design, the phone comes with graphite-metallic coloured elements and hand-wrapped leather on the back door cover. It runs BlackBerry OS 10 and features glass-like keys, unique BBM PIN and suite of BlackBerry tools like BlackBerry Blend, Assistant and Hub.

BlackBerry will also bundle exclusive Porsche Design accessories like a premium stereo headset, international charging kit, a polishing cloth and a USB cable.

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Samsung unveils the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 edge+

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At a huge event in New York last night, Samsung introduced two flagship devices – the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 edge+. Both phones are spec’d similarly with few differences on the design side and some software features. The Galaxy S6 edge+ features a dual edge display whereas the Galaxy Note 5 curves it at the back for a more ergonomic fit in one’s hand. The other difference is the inclusion of the S Pen in the Galaxy Note 5.

Both phones run Android 5.1 out of the box with TouchWiz overlay and is powered by a 14nm 64-bit Exynos octa-core processor and 4GB RAM. Additionally, the phone has a 5.7-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED Display and option of 32GB or 64GB of internal memory. Disappointingly, there’s no memory expansion slot.

The battery has also got a boost, which is now rated at 3000mAh and supports fast charging. It can be charged in just 90 minutes when using a wired connection or just under 120 minutes while charging wirelessly.

The rear-facing camera is a 16 megapixel one whereas the front-facing is a 5 megapixel with Auto HDR support and OIS. Furthermore, the main camera also supports 4K UHD video recording with live broadcast feature through YouTube Live.

Samsung spruces the offering with a fingerprint and MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) for Samsung Pay and a heart rate sensor.

If we talk about some unique features then the Galaxy Note 5 comes with a new clicking mechanism and allows users to take notes even if the screen is off and improved Air Command feature. As for the Galaxy S6 edge+, it comes with a ‘People edge’ and ‘App edge’ that makes it faster to access favourite contacts and apps.

Samsung has not revealed any plans for the Indian launch of either of the devices but plans to rollout in major markets by end of this month.