WSJ: Apple Watch shipments slowed by faulty Taptic Engines

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, Apple Watch shipments have been delayed by faulty Taptic Engine components. Currently, many orders for the Cupertino giant’s first smartwatch are expected to ship in June.

Sources told WSJ that a number of Taptic Engines supplied by the Chinese component manufacturer AAC Technologies Holdings Inc. broke down during testing. The issue caused Apple to switch suppliers, thus limiting the availability of its hot new smartwatch.

The Taptic Engine is one of the most innovative components found in the Apple Watch. It helps the wearable device provide vibrating feedback on a user’s wrist.

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HTC One M8 to receive 5.1 Lollipop with Sense 7 in August

HTC pressed the launch button on the Android 5.0 Lollipop update for the One (M8) at the end of January. The update to 5.1 Lollipop has been scheduled to August 2015.

According to HTC's UK Twitter account has revealed that the update will also bring the latest Sense UI. Sense v7 launched with the HTC One M9 and is a relatively minor step forward. One of the welcome improvements is that you can change the grip app switcher to stock Lollipop style. App reshuffling, some new widgets, BlinkFeed updates and other changes are also part of the update.

Other perks like themes were added to the M8 and M7 generation with an update to the BlinkFeed app.

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Model numbers for "Noble" Note 5 and "Zen" Galaxy S6 uncovered

Two Samsung IMEI numbers have surfaced that point to two new Galaxy models. Their model numbers are SM-G928S and SM-N920F and the rumor mill has decoded them as the "Zen" Galaxy S6 Plus and "Noble" Galaxy Note 5 respectively.

The SM-G928 appears to be a variation on the Galaxy S6 (G920), but it's unclear what will change from the current model. The final letters reveal regional versions, F for Europe, A and V for AT&T and Verizon, S and K for SK Telecom and KT.

The SM-N920F we couldn’t find and its name does coincide with what the next Note should be – the Galaxy Note 4 is the N910. Unfortunately that doesn’t give us much, neither does the "Noble" codename.

The letters indicate a European version, plus one for each carrier except KT.

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A gold-plated Apple Watch out of Vietnam costs just $1,000

The Apple Watch polarized opinions when it was officially unveiled and its pricing revealed to the public. The premium Watch Edition models, which come with a gold case, cost upwards of $10,000 with prices all the way up to $17,000.

Well, if that sounds pricier than you're willing to pay, but your status or other considerations call for a gold Apple Watch, Vietnamese luxury specialists at Karalux may have just the right solution for you. They are offering an 18K gold plating job on the Apple Watch for a mere $300 to $400, bringing the total price to $1,000.

18K gold-plated Apple Watch

That amount of cash will get you a 38mm Apple Watch with a stainless steel case covered in 18K gold, and black or white sports band. Opting for a classic buckle will cost you additional $300 for a total of $1,300. If you choose the 42mm model, the grand total reaches $1,400, still about a tenth of Apple's price tag.

Naturally, it won't be the real thing, but it's still genuine gold and at that price it's as close as it gets to what you'd call a bargain in the Apple Watch realm. How and if you can get one out of Vietnam is unclear though.

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Samsung details Galaxy S6 and S6 edge software gift packs

With the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, Samsung has definitely set the flagship bar pretty high yet again. Both handsets employ cutting-edge technology and offer premium quality and leading performance. Naturally, the Korean giant hasn’t skimped on the software side as well. TouchWiz has received a major overhaul and the device works better than ever.

But the perks don’t stop there when you purchase a new shiny Samsung phone. As has become customary for Galaxy devices, both the S6 and S6 edge come with a gift bundle of apps and promotions, exclusively picked out by Samsung.

The list of deals in quite lengthy and while nobody actually expects a six-month free subscription to draw new buyers in, this type of after-market attention helps quite a lot with customer satisfaction, not to mention exposure for the said applications. This being said, none of the apps in the list is preinstalled or hidden away in the new Galaxy. Just like with previous models, the offers can be accessed through the Samsung App Store and each one is strictly opt-in.

Galaxy Gift	Details
Audible	Three months of Audible membership
Dragons of Atlantis: Heirs of the Dragon	“Samsung Resource Pack” valued at 5,000 gold
The Economist	Six months of  digital subscription
Endomondo	Six months of Endomondo Premium
Evernote	Three months of Evernote Premium
Fleksy Keyboard	Fleksy Keyboard and Modern premium themes
Hancom Office 2014	Office editor download for an unlimited period from Galaxy Apps
The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle Earth	“Samsung Resource Pack” valued at 100 Mithril
Keepy	Six month Keepy Unlimited to save your kids art, school work and mementos
Kindle for Samsung	One eBook every month
LastPass	Three months of Premium for U.S. customers and six monthsPremium for international
Life360	Six months premium service subscription
Magisto	Three months of Magisto Pro HD
NY Times Breaking News	Three months with a subscription
OneDrive	An extra 100 GB of OneDrive storage for two years* Offer valid only on devices where OneDrive is preloaded
PAC-MAN Friends	Samsung customers receive 30 cherries (plays)
Parallels Access	Six month subscription
Pocket	Six month subscription to Pocket Premium
Shazam Encore	Special ad-free version
VSCO Cam	Download The Minimalist Collection, which includes 10 VSCOCam® presets
Workout Trainer	Six months of Workout Trainer Pro+

The apps are worth $500 if purchased separately and Samsung is pretty confident that each customer can find something of use in the list.

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Huawei launches Honor 4C budget smartphone in China

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei has updated its Honor line of devices with a new budget smartphone. Dubbed Honor 4C, the device is priced at CNY 799 ($129), and will be available Black, Blue, Gold, Pink, and White color options.

Specs-wise, the Honor 4C is powered by a HiSilicon Kirin 620 chipset with 1.2 GHz octa-core processor, and sports a 5-inch 720p display. It comes with 2GB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory (which can be expanded up to 32GB using a microSD card), and packs in a 2550mAh battery.

In terms of camera, the device features a 13MP rear unit and a 5MP front shooter. It runs Android 4.4 KitKat with EM UI 3.0 skin on top. The smartphone is currently only available in China (via Tmall and Vmall online retailers), and it isn't yet known if and when it will be launched in other markets as well.

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Lenovo S60 launched in Russia for $290

Lenovo has quietly made the its new mid-range smartphone available in Russia. The Lenovo S60 was first announced in the January and now released starting with Russia for RUB 15,000 ($290).

The Lenovo S60 bears iPhone-esque design with similar rounded corners and curved sides. Lenovo has equipped it with a 5" 720p display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8916 410 SoC with 64-bit quad-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, and 8GB of expandable storage. By default, it runs Android 4.4 Kitkat with Vibe 2.0 UI on top of it.

On the back, the S60 has a 13MP camera with LED flash and at the front it packs a 5MP camera for selfies. The list of features continues withWi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and bunch of sensors - gravity, accelerometer, proximity, and gyroscope. Bearing 7.7mm thick profile, Lenovo S60 accommodates a 2,150 mAh battery.

The Lenovo S60 will be sold in black, white, yellow, and pink color options but the availability of the colors will vary from region to region.

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LG Magna now available in India for $260

LG's mid-range smartphone, the Magna, which was made official back in February this year along with the LG Joy, Leon and Spirit, is now available for purchase in India. The device is priced at INR 16,500 ($260).

Specs-wise, the handset is powered by the Mediatek MT6582 chipset with 1.3GHz quad-core CPU (the LTE variant boasts a 1.2GHz quad-core CPU), and sports a 5” 720p display. It comes with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of expandable memory, and packs in a 2,540 mAh battery.

In terms of camera, the Magna features an 8MP rear unit and a 5MP front shooter. The device, which is expected to be launched in Brazil as the LG Prime Plus, runs Android 5.0 Lollipop with LG UI on top.

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Sony Xperia Z3 is surprisingly back in stock at T-Mobile

Earlier this month T-Mobile decided to discontinue the Sony Xperia Z3, after less than six months since its debut at the magenta carrier. At that point, there was no explanation given - the phone simply vanished from TMo's website.

Today, though, the exact opposite has happened. Namely, the Xperia Z3 is once again up for grabs from T-Mobile. Again, there's no explanation for these moves, the handset just showed up in the carrier's online store.

Furthermore, it's now a lot cheaper than it used to be. So that will be good news for prospective buyers. The full price you need to pay for the Xperia Z3 is $499.92, down from the previous level of $630.

If you choose to use T-Mobile's installment plan, then you pay nothing upfront, followed by 24 monthly payments of $20.83. As always, if you cancel wireless service the remaining balance on the phone becomes due.

Sony has already announced the Xperia Z4, but that device may only be launched in the Japanese market. And it's not even a huge upgrade compared to its predecessor, so the Z3 is still a pretty good buy.

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Nokia to make Android phones in 2016, R&D moves to China

Recently we heard rumors about alleged Nokia plans for re-entering the phone market in 2016. We are happy to report those plans are indeed true and Nokia will be marking its return next year with an Android smartphone.

Nokia sold its device business to Microsoft a year ago and it signed a non-compete clause preventing the company from producing smartphones under the Nokia brand until December 31, 2015 and feature phones under the Nokia brand for a decade.

Nokia used wisely these non-compete clauses and outed the powerful Nokia N1 tablet early this year. The N1 is designed by Nokia, including its Z Launcher for Android, but the rights for the branding, manufacturing, marketing and distributions were licensed to Foxconn.

The President of Nokia China confirmed Nokia is working on Android powered smartphones, which will be probably manufactured in factories in Sichuan, China (after further assessment) and will be launched in 2016. He also sheds some light on company's future - the Nokia's R&D center will permanently relocate to Sichuan, China.

Looking forward to Nokia's next phone chapter? We certainly are.

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Apple Watch now available for sale, back-ordered until June

Today, April 24, is the official launch of the long awaited Apple Watch. As we reported yesterday the Watch will be sold exclusively online until Apple can meet the demand. Indeed Apple Watch is only available for purchase online as of today, but it is on backorder.

According to Apple Store the first Watch orders will begin shipping in June. This is about two months from now.

Fortunately, the Apple Watch is available for testing and exploring at Apple Store Retail, so at least you can see it live before making a decision. Apple also included a detailed sizing guide, for those of you who can't go to an Apple Retail Store.

You can learn more about the Apple Watch editions at the official Apple Store page. If you want one, you should hurry up as the shipping may soon change to July or August. Hopefully Apple won’t introduce a successor this September.

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Huawei's P8 smartphone sells out at launch

Huawei's P8 smartphone, which was announced by the company last week, has sold out on its first day of release - the device was launched yesterday in China, where it was made available through the company's online shop Vmall for a price tag of 3,588 CNY ($579).

Specs-wise, the handset is powered by a HiSilicon Kirin 930 chipset and sports a 5.2-inch 1080p display. It comes with 3 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory, and packs in a 2680 mAh battery. In terms of camera, the P8 features a 13 MP rear unit and an 8 MP front shooter. The 6.4 mm-thin device runs Android 5.0 Lollipop with Huawei's EMUI 3.1 interface on top.

The smartphone, which is expected to be released worldwide in May, will cost €499 in Europe, and should set you back around $500 in the US.

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BB Leap now also available in US, France, and Germany

The BlackBerry Leap smartphone, whose global roll-out began last week in the UK, is now also available for purchase in the US, France, and Germany. The device was unveiled last month

As for the price, the BlackBerry 10 handset will set you back €289.00 in France as well as Germany, with shipping on April 24, while in the US, it is shipping right now and will cost you $275. Over in the UK, it is priced at £199

The Leap was first announced at the company's MWC 2015 press conference in Barcelona. It is currently listed as coming soon in Canada, India, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.

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LG G4 said to be costlier than Samsung's Galaxy S6, report says

While we already have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the LG's upcoming flagship smartphone, the G4, it wasn't yet clear how much it will cost, but that was until now.

According to an LG official quoted by ETnews, the device will be priced in between the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge price points, which means that it will cost more than $795 but less than $910.

“Prices are yet to be confirmed, but will stay within that range. The comparison target is Edge because the best camera, natural leather, etc. are used,” said the official. Going by the information revealed by SK Telecom, the device is expected to carry a price tag of $825.

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Project Fi debuts, making Google a carrier in the US

The rumors were actually true, as it turns out. Today Google has basically become a carrier in the United States, with the launch of its new service called Project Fi.

Although it will offer mobile services, Google hasn't built its own network for this purpose. Instead, it will act as an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator), using the infrastructure of both Sprint and T-Mobile.

This makes Google a pretty unique MVNO - and means devices connected to Project Fi need to support the network bands for both T-Mobile and Sprint. This isn't something every phone out there can do, so for now Google is only allowing Motorola Nexus 6 units to use Project Fi.

If you already own a Nexus 6, Google will send you a SIM card. If you don't have the phone, then you can buy one through Project Fi on a 24-month installment plan (with payments of $27.04 for the 32GB model, and $29.12 for the one with 64GB of storage). There's also the option to pay in full - $649 or $699, depending on which storage variant you choose.

Project Fi lets you make calls and send and receive texts via Wi-Fi when you're connected to such a network, so even if you encounter no signal areas you can still use your phone as you normally would, provided that you have a usable Wi-Fi connection. Calls are said to transition seamlessly between Wi-Fi and the mobile networks.

Google's service has just one plan, and no long-term contract requirement. You pay $20 per month for "The Fi Basics" and then you add a data allowance on top of that. The Fi Basics consist of unlimited domestic talk and text, as well as unlimited international texts. Data costs $10 per GB, and you can choose bundles in increments of 1GB - from 1GB all the way up to 10GB. Overages are charged at the same $10 per GB rate, so if you go over by 300MB, for example, you'll pay an extra $3.

Wi-Fi tethering is built-in. The data costs are exactly the same even in more than 120 countries across the world while you're roaming, but in this case your speed will be limited to 256kbps. Obviously in the States you're on Sprint's or T-Mobile's 4G networks, so you should get much more.

If you don't use all the data in your allowance in a month, you'll be credited the difference in your Project Fi account, and you can use that towards your next bill. If you pay $20 for 2GB but only use 1.5GB, you'll get $5 back. You can change the data package from month to month, and all account administration is done via a dedicated mobile app which you install on your Nexus 6.

The huge caveat right now is that you need an invite to get in on the action. Yes, Google is once again pulling its Gmail trick, so if you want to use Project Fi you have to request an invite from its official website and hope for the best.

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Lenovo A5000 with 5" HD display launched in Russia for $227

Lenovo has introduced a new affordable smartphone A5000 in Russia for RUB 12,000 ($227). Spotted earlier in February, the Lenovo A5000 brings a massive 4000 mAh battery as its key selling point. The smartphone runs Android 4.4 Kitkat and may get the Lollipop update later, hopefully.

As the younger kin to the A6000, we do expect some tradeoffs in the specs. The A5000 features a 5-inch 720p IPS display and comes with a special nano coating to make it resistant to water splashes.

Powered with a MediaTek MT6582 SoC with quad-core 1.3GHz CPU, the A5000 packs 1GB of RAM and 8GB on-board expandable storage. At there rear it has a 8MP auto-focus snapper with LED flash and a 2MP fixed-focus camera for clicking selfies.

This dual-SIM smartphone supports 3G network in one slot and ropes along other connectivity features such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, FM Radio, and GPS. Weighing 160 grams, A5000 is almost 10 mm thick - understandable given the sizeable battery inside.

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Gionee Pioneer P4S launched in India at $125

Gionee has added yet another smartphone to its entry level lineup - Pioneer P4S. As a successor of the old P4, the new handset supports dual-SIM configuration and will be sold in the Indian market for INR7,799 ($125).

Sporting a 4.5-inch WVGA display and is powered by a MediaTek MT6582 chipset with quad-core 1.3GHz CPU and 1GB of RAM. Internal storage is 8GB and photography needs are covered by a 5MP rear snapper and a 2MP front camera. The rear camera packs fancy features such as HDR, panorama, face recognition and others.

The 8.7mm thick P4S boasts the HotKnot feature that mimics the function of Near Field Communication.

Cellular connectivity features dual-SIM 3G support. Hardly appearing to be an improvement over its predecessor, the P4S runs Android 4.4 KitKat and packs a 1,800 mAh battery.

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Gionee Elife E8 allegedly spotted on GFXBench

Ever since the launch of the Gionee Elife S7, the news has been out that the company is already working on a successor.

The successor to the fairly popular E-series handset will allegedly be named the Elife E8 and a new GFXBench benchmark page might reveal a big part of its specs sheet. The device will probably feature a 4.6-inch 2560 x 1440 pixel display, which is in tune with previous rumors. It will be powered by an Mediatek MT6795 SoC with octa-core CPU - the same chip that powers the HTC One E9+. And graphics will be courtesy of a PowerVT Rogue G6200 GPU.

As far as memory goes, the Elife E8 will probably have 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. And the camera setup looks really impressive, at least on paper. The main shooter will be capable of 23MP stills and the front-facing one has an 8MP sensor.

There is still no official word on the Elife E8, but Gionee's president William Lu promised to introduce the smartphone in June.

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Xiaomi Mi Note gets certified in Malaysia, launch imminent

Xiaomi's Mi Note phablet, which was released back in January this year, is headed to Malaysia, making it one of the first countries outside China to get the device.

As you can see in the image above, a couple of Xiaomi handsets have been approved by the Standard and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM), the country's national standard development agency. According to a report from Oizoioi, the device carrying model number 2015011 is the Mi Note, while the other one is the Mi4 3G variant.

The certification comes just a few months after Xiaomi announced that the Mi Note will launch in Malaysia in Q2 2015.

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Stylus-toting LG G Stylo mid-ranger goes official in Korea

LG took the wraps off the G Stylo mid-range smartphone in Korean. The newcomer features stylus pen just like last year’s LG G3 Stylus.

The specs of the LG G Stylo include a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 chipset with 1.2GHz quad-core CPU, 1.5 GB of RAM, and 8GB of expandable memory. The handset supports microSD cards up to an eye-popping 2TB in size.

A 5.7” 720p IPS display, 8MP main camera, and 5MP front-facing snapper, and customized Android Lollipop are also part of the device’s specs. Full connectivity suite including LTE and Android 4.1 is also on board.

Physical measures of LG G Stylo are 154.3 x 79.2 x 9.6 mm, while its weight tips the scale at 163 grams. A 3,000 mAh battery powers the device.

LG G Stylo will hit the shelves in Korea first. Select global markets will get the device starting in May.

Source (in Korean)

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Sony Xperia Z4 Compact, Z4 Ultra spotted in certification list

The alleged successors of Sony Xperia Z3 Compact (D5800 series) and Xperia Z Ultra (C6800 series) were spotted in an Indonesian Telecom regulatory list. Based on the certification dates, the Xperia Z4 Compact and Xperia Z4 Ultra are expected to debut in the near future.

Sony E5803 model number corresponds with the successor of the Z3 Compact D5803 and will likely be dubbed Xperia Z4 Compact. Similarly, E6683 and E6883 model numbers could be the follow up to the Xperia Z Ultra C6683/C6803.

Two days ago, Sony quietly announced its flagship smartphone Xperia Z4 in Japan. We have a reason to believe that one more flagship smartphone might be released later this year.

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OnePlus inks its first carrier partnership with Maxis in Malaysia

Chinese start-up OnePlus has announced that its One smartphone will now be available exclusively through Maxis in Malaysia, making it the first country in which the handset will be available in stores and without invites.

It's worth mentioning that this is the company's first carrier partnership. “As we grow, it is increasingly important to work with the right partners who will provide the best experience for our users," said Carl Pei, co-founder of OnePlus. "Going offline is a first for us and we’re very happy to have found a solid partner in Maxis with whom we can take our first steps.”

As for the price, the 64GB Sandstone Black model will be available with the MaxisONE Plan at RM859 ($237). It will also be available unlocked and off contract for RM1199 ($330). The news comes just a day after OnePlus announced that the One will now be available without invites in all supported regions.

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