OnePlus X will no longer require invites to purchase

OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei announced on the company's official forum today that theOnePlus X will be available for purchase without invites from now on. Previously, potential customers only had "invite-free Tuesday" to get the phone.

Currently, the OnePlus One, OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X are sold wihtout invites. For the OnePlus One the company needed one year to do so, while the OnePlus 2 took about four months from its launch. The OnePlux S is the quickest of the three to go invite-free in just three months.

Here's what Carl Pei had to say about the milestone.

We’re extremely excited to be making the OnePlus X invite-free more quickly this time around. With every device we release, we grow more mature and more adept at handling the demands and expectations of our community. We largely owe our success to your unrelenting support, so we hope that this development will make the process of purchasing your very own OnePlus X as smooth and effortless as it can possibly be.

As a reminder, the phone has a 1080p touchscreen, a 13 MP rear camera with LED flash, an 8 MP selfie shooter, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 801 chipset running things aided by 3GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, and a 2,525 mAh battery. The software version employed is Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

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BlackBerry Priv launched in India at a steep $923

BlackBerry finally launched the Priv in the Indian market. However, if you have been looking forward to buying this phone then you will have to come to terms with the rather steep pricing. The phone is priced at INR 62,990, which is around $923. In comparison, the phone is priced at $699 in the US, which was already considered expensive by many.

BlackBerry's reasoning is that the phone comes packed with high-end specifications and that there is a market for high-end devices such as the Priv and consumers who are willing to pay a premium for premium devices. Unfortunately, even with BlackBerry's relative popularity in India, the high-end market is pretty much dominated by the iPhones, with most consumers choosing to go with Apple if they are spending over a certain amount, and Android largely being the second preference for those with less deep pockets.

It remains to be seen how the combination of high price, high-end specs, Android, and BlackBerry brand work in favor of the Priv.

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Alleged Xiaomi Mi 5 screenshot reveals dual-SIM functionality, NFC support

Xiaomi's upcoming Mi 5 flagship smartphone will come with dual-SIM functionality as well as support for NFC. This was revealed in a screenshot - shared by chairman Lei Jun - alleged to be of the device's home screen.
This isn't the first time we're hearing rumors of the Mi 5 supporting these features. If you recall, last month we reported on a document from China UnionPay that revealed the NFC functionality for the flagship. And recently, the handset was spotted listed on GearBest's website revealing support for dual-SIM.
However, those were regular rumors. Given that the information this time has come directly from Xiaomi's chairman, it's all but official that the Mi 5 will include these features. And the good thing is that we won't have to wait long for these to become official, as the smartphone will be officially unveiled in just a few weeks from now.
For those who aren't already aware, the Mi 5 will also be available for media preview at this year's MWC.

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Oppo teases F1 Plus with 5.5" screen, 4GB RAM

After just releasing the first entry in its new "F" line, the Oppo F1, today the OEM announced that it plans to out an upgraded F1 Plus version soon. The handset should arrive this April and is said to offer a bigger 5.5" display with FullHD resolution and 4GB of RAM, compared to the smaller 5" HD panel and 3GB of memory on the F1.

The announcement took place at the company's Mumbai launch event for the Oppo F1 today. The provided teaser also mentions an improved selfie experience for the Plus model. The basic F1 is already marketed as a selfie expert phone and packs an 8MP f/2.0 front snapper with a 1/4" sensor, so the Plus could potentially upgrade the front camera even further, or at least, improve the software side.

Other than that, we can only assume that the F1 Plus will share the rest of the specs with its sibling, as well as most of the Oppo R7 line. This includes the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 SoC, a 13MP main shooter with f/2.2 aperture, also LTE connectivity and Dual-SIM support. Design-wise, we expect little change as well, meaning that overall the F1 Plus could be somewhat of a mirror image of the R7s, just like the F1 is to the R7 in a lot of respects.

As already mentioned, the new device should go on sale in India this April for INR 26,990 or around $395, which is quite a big of a markup from the INR 15,990 (around $235) the F1 is going for.

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Huawei Honor Holly 2 Plus unveiled with 13MP camera, 4,000mAh battery

As expected, Huawei has unveiled the Honor Holly 2 Plus, which is the successor to the Chinese company's Honor Holly from 2014. The Holly 2 Plus is powered by a 64-bit MediaTek MT6735P SoC with quad-core CPU and Mali 720 GPU, and sports a 5-inch HD IPS display.

It has 2GB RAM and 16GB internal memory, which can be expanded up to 128GB via microSD slot. In terms of camera, the handset features a 13MP rear unit and a 5MP front shooter. There's a 4,000mAh battery to keep the lights on.

Featuring textured design on its back and a polycarbonate body, the Holly 2 Plus offers dual-SIM functionality. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS/A-GPS/GLONASS, and MicroUSB. The device also supports CDMA network.

Those purchasing the device will get 15 months manufacturer warranty and 30 days of display replacement for free.

The phone was unveiled today at an ongoing event in the Indian capital of New Delhi. There's currently no information on its price (said to be under INR 10,000 or $145) and availability, but we'll update this post as soon as we hear something. Alongside the Holly 2 Plus, Huawei also launched the Honor 5X in India.

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IDC: Samsung retains leadership in smartphone shipments for both Q4 and 2015

Samsung was the top smartphone vendor worldwide last quarter, capturing 21.4% of the market, up from 20% it claimed last year, according to latest data revealed by market research firm IDC.
The South Korean company shipped a total of 85.6 million smartphones in Q4 2015, up from the 75.1 million figure it reported in the same quarter the year prior. On the other hand Apple, which retained its second spot, shipped 74.8 million iPhones last quarter, claiming 18.7% of the market. Huawei, Lenovo, and Xiaomi rounded up the top five with 8.1%, 5.1%, and 4.6% share, respectively.
Talking about 2015 as a whole, there wasn't any change in the rankings - Samsung was still at the top with around 325 million smartphone units shipped, followed by Apple, Huawei, Lenovo, and Xiaomi, shipping 231.5, 106.6, 74.0, and 70.8 million units, respectively.
Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei reported the strongest year-on-year growth in the top five. "Usually the conversation in the smartphone market revolves around Samsung and Apple, but Huawei's strong showing for both the quarter and the year speak to how much it has grown as an international brand," said Melissa Chau, Senior Research Manager with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.
"While there is a lot of uncertainty around the economic slowdown in China, Huawei is one of the few brands from China that has successfully diversified worldwide, with almost half of its shipments going outside of China. Huawei is poised to be in a good position to hold onto a strong number 3 over the next year."
Total global smartphone shipments in 2015 stood at over 1.4 billion, up 10.1% compared to 2014.

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Gionee Elife S8 to be launched at MWC next month

Gionee has announced that its upcoming Elife S8 flagship will be launched at this year's Mobile World Congress, which is scheduled for next month (Feb 22 - Feb 25). The handset has been the subject of little to no rumours or leaks lately.

As clear from the image above, the launch event is set for the first day of MWC 2016 - February 22. The Chinese manufacturer says the device will offer "hassle-free photo-shooting features" as well as "pressure-sensitive display."

In the company's words, "A new era of mobile photography has arrived and we welcome our consumers to explore this era together with joy in their hearts. We believe technology is part of our lives and we enjoy the convenience and creativity it brings. At MWC 2016, GIONEE will introduce a new member to its S series - the Elife S8, an innovative mobile device that comes with hassle-free photo-shooting features and a pressure-sensitive display."

The handset's predecessor - the Elife S7 - was unveiled in March at last year's MWC. At 5.5mm, it's among the thinnest dual-SIM phones.

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T-Mobile increases its prepaid data allotments without price hikes

T-Mobile has been the one to disrupt the mobile industry in the US these past few years. The prepaid market space in the US, while still a great value, T-Mobile strives to provide an even greater value with its newest data hikes.
T-Mobile is raising its data allotments for $40, $50, and $60 prepaid plans from 1GB, 3GB and 5GB to 3GB, 5GB and 10GB respectively.
These plans also include T-Mobile’s Music freedom and its new video optimizer which lowers video content’s resolution to 480p in order to save data and watch up to 3 times more video with the same amount of data.
If you stream a lot of music, you’ll want to look into getting a prepaid plan from T-Mobile. Raising data without raising prices is another reason T-Mobile wants to give more to its customers and wants customers to love their carrier. Keep it up T-Mobile!
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LG announces global rollout of its K10 and K4 smartphones

LG has announced that its newly-unveiled K10 and K4 smartphones will be launched globally this week. While the K10 is already available for purchase in the company's home country of South Korea, the K4 was recently spotted listed on LG's Russian website.

LG says both handsets will be available in Europe as well as the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region starting this week, and will be launched in Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia in the weeks to come.

There was, however, no word on the K7, which was unveiled alongside the K10 at this year CES and is currently available for purchase in the US from Boost Mobile as the Tribute 5.

"Affordable mass-tier phones with advanced features are becoming more and more important,” said Juno Cho, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “Our newest K Series is designed for our consumers to experience LG’s premium design philosophy and optimized mobile experience across disparate smartphone categories.”

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iPhone 7 Plus again tipped to come with a dual-camera setup

September is still a long way off, but rumors regarding Cupertino's next iPhone are already coming in hard. Apple analysts from KGI, like Ming-Chi Kuo have definitely proven a trustworthy source of information in the past and although they mostly deal with analytical results and speculations, predictions have often turned out true in the past. In a new memo to investors, Kuo talks of a dual rear camera setup for the iPhone 7 Plus, or at least a certain version of it.
Considering Apple's track record for the past couple of years, we have every reason to believe that the company will release two variants of its handset, most-likely a 4.7-inch iPhone 7 and a 5.5-inch 7 Plus one.
The rumor for a dual rear iSight camera setup concerns the bigger iPhone 7 Plus model. According to Kuo, the handset will be available with an two CIS setup, most-likely powered by LinX – a company specializing in creating ultra-compact camera sensors for slim smartphones, acquired by Apple back in 2015. The alleged setup will include two 12 MP sensors, one with optical image stabilization and a wider field of view and the other, a 2-3x telephoto lens. OIS is definitely not a novelty, but optical zoom is a whole new uncharted territory for the iPhone.
The dual camera setup will surely allow for some pretty neat new features like variable focus and bokeh effects.
Ming-Chi Kuo also speculates that not all the iPhone 7 Plus models will have the dual-camera setup. The option will allegedly be offered at a premium which should help reduce the production strain for the new technology – a rather common occurrence with new Apple tech. He expects that about 25% to 35% of shipped iPhone 7 Plus units will have the extra feature. To be honest that seems very hard to believe as manufacturing two different Plus versions doesn't sound like Apple at all and it will mostly likely be a case of all or none of the units get the feature.
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Apple posts record quarterly figures for first quarter of 2016

Apple announced its first quarter financial results for the financial year of 2016, which ended on December 26, 2015.

The company posted record quarterly revenue of $75.9 billion and record quarterly net income or profit of $18.4 billion, the highest in the company's history. In comparison, Apple earned $74.6 billion revenue and $18 billion net income in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 66% of the quarter's revenue.

In his statement, CEO Tim Cook attributed the record quarter to the strong sales of iPhone, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. He also said the growth of Apple's Service business accelerated and the company's install base crossed one billion active devices, roughly 1/7th the Earth's population.

However, despite the impressive numbers, Apple's stock fell after hours, as although the company exceeded the $18.22 billion net income projected figure by analysts, it fell short of the $76.67 projected revenue figure.

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Gionee unveils Marathon M5 mini with 2GB RAM and 4,000mAh battery

After announcing the Marathon M5 lite last month, Chinese smartphone manufacturer Gionee has unveiled a mini variant of its Marathon M5 smartphone. The device is powered by a Mediatek MT6580 SoC and sports a 5-inch (1280 x 720 pixel resolution) IPS display.
Gionee Marathon M5 mini has 2GB RAM and 16GB expandable internal memory, and packs in a large 4,000 mAh battery. In terms of camera, the M5 mini features an 8MP rear and a 5MP front shooter. Measuring 143.5 x 71 x 9.6mm, the handset runs Android 5.1 Lollipop with Amigo UI 3.1 on top. Connectivity options include 3G, GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi.
Commenting on the launch, the company's Nigeria Marketing Director Somoye Habeeb said, "Gionee focuses on innovation, efficiency and affordability in ways that other brands don’t. Having received a warm reception from the Nigerian market when we introduced the Gionee M5 a few months ago, Gionee is following up with the M5 Mini."
"The Gionee M5 Mini as the name implies, is a compact version of the M5. It is just as effective and stylish, but more affordable. It can be considered a sequel to the highly durable M5, and is the latest phone to be released in Nigeria," he added.
There was, however, no word on the M5 mini's price.

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Lenovo Vibe X3 launched in India for $293

Lenovo has launched its Vibe X3 smartphone in India, which will be the company's flagship device in the market. The phone will be available through Amazon for INR 19,999 ($293).

The Vibe X3 puts a lot of focus on the audio quality aspect. The phone has powerful stereo speakers up front. The headphone output is handled by a premium 32-bit ESS Sabre 9018C2M DAC with 3x op-amp for music and Cirrus Logic Wolfson WM8281 for phone calls. The phone also offers Dolby Atmos effect over headphones and speakers.

Otherwise, the specs are fairly run of the mill. It has a 5.5-inch 1080p display, Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage with microSD support, dual SIM, LTE, IR, 21 megapixel rear camera with PDAF and 4K, fingerprint sensor, 3600mAh battery, and Android 5.1 with Vibe UI.

Lenovo stresses the focus is more on the experience than the specs. The phone has a metal frame with a curved back for a comfortable grip. The display has 100% NTSC color gamut coverage. The Vibe UI has been scaled back a bit and is closer to stock Android in some places. The phone also supports Lenovo's TheaterMax feature that works with the optional ANTVR headset for a bigscreen experience for your movies or games.

The phone goes on sale tomorrow, January 28, on Amazon at 2PM IST.

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Xiaomi Mi 4 Windows 10 variant receiving new update

The Windows 10 Mobile variant of Xiaomi's Mi 4 smartphone has started receiving a new firmware update, which majorly includes bug fixes as well as some improvements and enhancements.
As per the change log, the update fixes various issues such as those related to alarm clock, Outlook e-mail syncing, and freezing screen. In addition, it improves the camera quality for pictures taken at close range, as well as brings along a new vibration switch button (Settings -> Extras -> vibration settings) and some battery-related optimizations.
For those who aren't already aware, back in March last year, Microsoft and Xiaomi entered into an agreement to provide Windows 10 Technical Preview support on the Mi 4, following which the ROM was released last month.

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Samsung's Apple-like phone leasing program to reportedly launch alongside Galaxy S7

Back in September last year, there were reports that Samsung is planning to launch an Apple-like phone leasing program for its Galaxy smartphones. And now, a new report from the company's home country of South Korea is suggesting that the program will be launched alongside the Galaxy S7 flagship.

This means that those purchasing the Galaxy S7 family of smartphones (which are expectedto be unveiled at MWC next month) from Samsung will be able to pay in monthly installments. In addition, they will also be able to upgrade their device every year.

For those who aren't aware, Apple announced the iPhone Upgrade Program at the iPhone 6s/6s Plus unveiling event last year. It requires you to sign a two-year financing agreement and pay a little over $32 a month. In return, you get a new, unlocked iPhone every year directly from the company. The program also includes Apple Care+.

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