[VIDEO] This slick Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge concept could be mistaken for the Samsung Galaxy S6

Watch the video below and tell us: would you have guessed that was a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge if you weren’t told what it was? We don’t blame you if you would, because concept artist Jermaine Smit made sure he stuck to realism for his latest work.

This concept video doesn’t showcase some wild and whacky design from a dream. Instead, Smit decided to make it based on all the rumors and leaks we’ve heard so far. That’s why it looks almost exactly like a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, and we even had to double check to make sure the B-Roll footage in this video wasn’t lifted from Samsung themselves.

But you’ll notice things like a tweaked home button and the inclusion of a USB Type-C port as differentiating factors compared to Samsung’s 2015 phones. Otherwise, he did a remarkable job putting the render together, and we wouldn’t be surprised if Samsung gave him a call to join their marketing team because this is some very slick work. Interested in more? Be sure to check out his Behance profile right here for concepts about all sorts of smartphones and tablets.

Photos of updated Google Glass Enterprise Edition exposed by the FCC

After reports of a work-focused “ Google Glass Enterprise Edition” began swirling around the net, photos of the upcoming headset have finally surfaced thanks to the FCC. The Commission posted a handful of photos in its documentation, showing the device from every angle and even open, exposing all of the device’s (hopefully improved) internal hardware.

For the most part, things look largely the same as previous models, with the exception of a large metal hinge being added, probably so the display can fold completely flat against the rest of the device. Word on the street is this updated version of Glass will be much more durable than previous models and distributed only to Google’s Glass for Work startups. A separate model — sans the display — aimed at fitness and sports is also said to launch sometime later.

Recently, the Google Glass team shifted gears, moving Glass out of Google’s X Labs and officially renaming it Project Aura. This may have had something to do with the team now reportedly working on more than just Glass with a handful of other wearables also in the works.

With the new Google Glass 2016 model already receiving its FCC certification, it seems it’s on a roll to finally launch next year. Although this wont be a general consumer release, who knows what else Google has planned for 2016. We imagine we’ll learn more during Google I/O where Google will more than likely make this new hardware available to developers to get up and coding on.

[VIDEO] Someone’s Samsung Galaxy S5 already has Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow up and running

According to Google’s latest Platform Distribution numbers for December 2015, Android 6.0 Marshmallow is only running on .5% of Android devices, just a small blip on the radar. For the vast majority of Android users in the world — those that don’t own Nexus devices — the wait for Android 6.0 Marshmallow is an excruciating one.

We know it’s coming. Most of the bigger name manufacturers have already committed to bringing the latest OS update to their older flagship devices. It’s just the waiting — and not knowing when to expect it — that’s the hard part. For Samsung Galaxy S5 owners, a leaked roadmap showed the update was still “awaiting approval” with no ETA in sight.

But one lucky Galaxy S5 owner seems to have received the update a tad bit early, with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow already up and running on his device. It’s unclear if he received this update over-the-air, in which case it would be a pretty big mishap on Samsung’s part, or he simply flashed a leaked build meant for another Samsung device. In either case, don’t expect this rolling out to your handset anytime soon, especially if you live in the US where software updates face the usual carrier approval process.

Last week we told you guys about Samsung’s early software program where they gave a few lucky users the chance to test out the new Marshmallow update (in beta form) on the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge in the UK and South Korea. The test period for the beta ends January 18th, so don’t expect a rollout until sometime after that date at the very least.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and larger S7 Edge dimensions compared against the S6

Earlier today, we told you guys all about rumors of this year’s Samsung Galaxy S7 being joined by a larger sized Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge model. We know the regular S7 would feature a slighter larger 5.2-inch display, while the S7 Edge would be a 5.5-inch curved AMOLED display.
If you’re anything like us, you’re probably wondering how this will translate into the overall dimensions of each these device and how much larger the S7 might be when compared to last year’s Samsung Galaxy S6, one of our favorite petite-sized Androids.

In a new leak tipped by Shai Mizrachi for Android Authority, alleged dimensions for both these devices appear to have been leaked, taken from what appears to be a 3D CAD render used by 3rd party case manufacturers. The best part about the leak is we get a look at the front and tops of the phones as compared against last year’s S6. This gives us a great idea of what to possibly expect when the pair of new Galaxy devices are announced in February of next year.

As you can see (and seemingly confirmed by other leaks), both the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge will have slightly curved backs, similar to the Galaxy Samsung Note 5, only much less prominent. We’ll keep our fingers crossed that Samsung had the sense to include a bigger battery in what appears to be a slightly thicker form factor, but we’ll have to wait and see. The camera also seems to less pronounced, a feature of Samsung’s newly announced BRITECELL camera tech.

Our favorite part is that the regular S7 and S6 are both reportedly the same height, with a slightly smaller bottom bezel coming on the S7. With most Android flagships unapologetically growing taller each year, it’s nice Samsung isn’t sipping that Kool-Aid — at least not with their staple. You’ll also noticed the absence of an IR blaster along the top, something we really hope doesn’t come to pass (we love universal remote functionality).

Despite telling myself that I would calm my mammaries for next year’s Galaxy device, I’m already feeling the hype take hold. Anyone else excited for next year’s new Samsung releases?

New alleged Samsung Galaxy S7 case renders give us a closer look at the thing

GSMArena and case manufacturer ITSKINS have teamed up again to provide another set of case renders for an upcoming phone. 2016’s top challenger — otherwise known as the Samsung Galaxy S7 — is the device being paraded this time.

The renders are quite interesting a couple of different ways. For starters, they seemingly confirm that the Samsung Galaxy S7 will have an overall shape and size similar to this year’s Galaxy S6. There are a couple of subtlties worth noting, namely that the curve on the rear of the regular Galaxy S7 will be more profound, while the Galaxy S7 Edge won’t have a rear curve ( which makes sense as it’ll have a curved display).


The renders also show a different home button compared to what previous CAD renders told us to expect. While the home button on those renders were wider and squared off, Samsung seems to have simply made a bigger version of the Samsung Galaxy S6’s home button.

But there’s reason to hold off on believing that either set of the leaked renders are telling the truth. Case manufacturers typically only get dimensions for depth, width, and height of the device, but don’t always necessarily have access to intricate details about other external quirks.

The biggest evidence of this was seen with the Nexus 6P’s leaked cases — manufacturers’ early renders covered up the device’s rear panel which houses sensors, and it was only after the device was made official that the renders were tweaked to reflect that. That said, we’d imagine something like the home button’s exact shape is something case manufacturers would need in case they are looking to create full body cases (like the Otterbox Defender) so it’s possible ITSKINS does have access to that info.

All that aside, it’s still important to remember that case renders are not to be taken as gospel. We’ve seen some case manufacturers use fan-made renders to show off their cases early, and it wouldn’t surprise us if this Galaxy S7 render was simply a modified Samsung Galaxy S6 as rumors say to expect a near-identical design. Take it for what you will.

$2,440 buys you a gold plated BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9983 from Vietnam

The gold plating experts from Vietnam are back again with a new offering. This time, Karalux focused its efforts on BlackBerry's Porsche Design P'9983, launched last year with BlackBerry OS 10.3 on board.

If you still enjoy the Canadian company's own operating system (and thus don't care about the newer, Android-running Priv), this might be for you - especially if gold is your thing.


You can now buy a gold plated P'9983 from Karalux for VND 55 million, which currently translates into $2,440 or €2,226. This price is valid for international orders, if you're in Vietnam you only need to pay VND 50 million ($2,219, €2,023). In either case you're getting a smartphone plated with 24k gold.

As you may have expected, the handset's innards aren't touched, so in terms of hardware you're getting the same 3.1-inch 720x720 touchscreen, Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset with 1.5 GHz dual-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, 64GB of expandable storage, 8 MP main camera, 2 MP selfie shooter, and 2,100 mAh battery.

On the other hand if you already have the device and just send it in for gold plating, you'll shell out either VND 15 million ($665, €607) or VND 20 million ($887, €810), depending on which type of gold you prefer.

The plating process takes three straight working hours, because more than ten different stages are involved, according to the chief engineer responsible for the P'9983's gold plating.

Rumor: Samsung Galaxy S7 will cost you more money, but comes with an iris scanner

According to a report out of Poland, you might want to start saving up for the Samsung Galaxy S7 you plan on buying next year. If this report is legit, Samsung plans on hiking the price for the Galaxy S7 series. According to Evan Blass (who once upon a time was well-known by his @evleaks Twitter handle), we will see four variations of the manufacturer's flagship model in 2016. They include the Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Plus and the Samsung Galaxy S7 Plus.

Today's report states that one reason for the price hike could be the new iris scanner that Sammy plans on stuffing into the entire Galaxy S7 line. With the iris scanner on board, a steely stare at your Samsung Galaxy S7 should be able to unlock the handset, verify your identity, and basically do all of the things that a fingerprint scanner can do. Because everyone has unique patterns in their eyes, the iris scanner is the most precise type of biometrics available

Recently, we passed along to you images of some new cases said to be made for both the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the Samsung Galaxy S7 Plus. One of the photos contained an image that was claimed to be that of the Galaxy S7, which will apparently include a rectangular home button. The Galaxy S7 should be unveiled on February 21st, the day before MWC opens in Barcelona, during the Samsung Unpacked 2016 event. And a leaked road map showing China Mobile's upcoming handset launches reveals a March release for the Galaxy S7.

With this report in mind, we could see the Samsung Galaxy S7 carry a retail price above $700 at the time it is released in the U.S.

Ampere reached 1 million installs

One million app installs reached

I am very proud to announce that Ampere have achieved to get over one million downloads on Google Play Store.

Ampere in numbers:

• 324 days (11.8 Months) to get the 1 million downloads
• 34 600 ratings with an average of 4.4 on Google Play Store
• localized in 39 languages
• more than 1100 members on the Ampere Beta Tester community (G+)
• more than 200 followers on Twitter

The 1 million installs wouldn't be possible without the nice users, the great translators and the many-many enthusiastic people (on G+ and XDA Developers) who helped to test and to improve the app.

Thank you all for this great success!

Get Ampere on Google Play

HTC Sense 7.0 "G" version explained

Together with the latest and greatest HTC One A9 we saw the HTC Sense 7.0 "G" edition user interface for the first time. What exactly is the "G" version and how it differs from the "regular" version?

Probably the "G" comes from a "Google", because HTC wanted it be as close to the stock Android 6.0 Marshmallow UX as possible, allowing for certain carrier requirements and feature necessities. So, for example, in the "G" edition we have the stock notification window and Quick Settings, while the full Settings menu is HTC's Sense version due to carrier customization requirements.

HTC Sense 7.0 (left) vs HTC Sense 7.0 "G" (right)

HTC also worked to reduce or eliminate duplicative apps in every case possible. So, for example, the HTC Music player is gone in favour of Google Music. In a couple cases HTC needed to pre-load HTC's apps to support certain features, such as HTC Gallery to support RAW images, in addition to Google Photos. So what's gone for sure?

- HTC Backup

- HTC Music

- Print Studio

- One Gallery

- Peel Smart Remote

- Polaris Office

- Scribble

All the rest seems to be still there. And it doesn't look much different to the Sense 7.0 "regular" version because a lot of components (such as Calendar, Mail, Clock, Camera, Sense Home, Weather etc.) are accessible via Google Play store. What's also different is the HTC default accent colours, the "G" edition is a bit less colourful.

HTC Sense 7.0 (left) vs HTC Sense 7.0 "G" (right)

HTC's  plan when M8 and M9 begin rolling out Android 6.0 Marshmallow is to maintain UX consistency with Sense 7.

The main screen looks exactly the same, as well as most parts of the UI (except the colours scheme).

HTC Sense 7.0 (left) vs HTC Sense 7.0 "G" (right)

HTC Sense 7.0 (left) vs HTC Sense 7.0 "G" (right)

HTC Sense 7.0 (left) vs HTC Sense 7.0 "G" (right)

HTC Sense 7.0 (left) vs HTC Sense 7.0 "G" (right)

HTC Sense 7.0 (left) vs HTC Sense 7.0 "G" (right)

HTC Sense 7.0 (left) vs HTC Sense 7.0 "G" (right)

HTC Sense 7.0 (left) vs HTC Sense 7.0 "G" (right)

HTC Sense 7.0 (left) vs HTC Sense 7.0 "G" (right)

HTC Sense 7.0 (left) vs HTC Sense 7.0 "G" (right)

HTC Sense 7.0 (left) vs HTC Sense 7.0 "G" (right)

HTC Sense 7.0 (left) vs HTC Sense 7.0 "G" (right)

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