Amazon's Prime Day will offer a 40-inch, 1080p TV for $115

Amazon is saying its Prime Day, a day of deals celebrating the company's 20th birthday, is going to have bigger deals than Black Friday. Now we're getting a look at some of the offers, and they're not lying.

As a preview for Prime Day, which begins Wednesday at 12 a.m. PT, Amazon sent out a list of some of the deals that will be available. The sale runs for 24 hours, with new deals added every 10 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, many of the deals featured prominently are for Amazon's own products. These include $15 off Fire TV Stick, $30 off Kindle and $60 off the Fire 7 HD.

What should get shoppers extra excited are the deals on TVs, which are shockingly good: $75 will get you a 32-inch LED TV; $115 is all you need for a 40-inch, 1080p TV; and a "brand-name" 32-inch smart TV will cost under $200. Amazon doesn't list the manufacturers of any of these TVs, so don't expect the best money can buy, but the prices are hard to argue with.

This "celebration" is a push for users to subscribe to Amazon Prime, which offers two-day free shipping and a library of streaming audio and video content for $99 a year, or $49 if you have a .edu email address.
This "celebration" is a push for users to subscribe to Amazon Prime, which offers two-day free shipping and a library of streaming audio and video content for $99 a year, or $49 if you have a .edu email address.

Amazon is inviting people to sign up for a 30-day free trial of Prime to take advantage of the deals, with the hope users will pay to subscribe after the month is over.

Pro tip: When you sign up for your trial, set a reminder to go off 29 days in the future, so you can decide if you want to cancel. Amazon will not notify you before you are billed for the service.

Amazon wants to get as many people signed up for its Prime service as possible, since members generally make a lot of purchases. Consumer Intelligence Research Partners estimated in 2014 that Prime members spent an average of $1,500 per year, compared with $625 for non-members.

Meanwhile, Walmart will offer a very similar weeklong promotion on its website on the same day as Amazon's, touting the fact that its deals won't require a $99 membership to access. Amazon retorted in a statement to Mashable by alleging that Walmart charges more for products in stores than it does online.

In addition, Walmart will also reduce its minimum order cost for free shipping from $50 to $35, matching Amazon.

Some more of the Prime Day highlights include Bose headphones for "the lowest price ever on Amazon" and various Chromebooks for $199. A full list of the preview can be found here.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Gaming Review 4K

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Gaming Review 4K Samsung Galaxy S6 Gaming Test and Gaming performance Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Gaming Review 4K - Video Here

New - iPhone 7 Apple Official Video iPhone 7 iOS 9

iPhone 7 Apple Official Video iPhone 7 iOS 9

iPhone 7 by Apple. The biggest thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone. Creating an entirely new design meant inventing entirely new technology.

Youtube Video Here

New - iPhone 6s, next-generation iPhone, coming fall 2015

iPhone 6s

Apple's next-generation iPhone, coming fall 2015

Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, released in September, have only been available just over six months, but rumors about the next-generation iPhone are already trickling in. It's likely Apple will continue its 2014 trend, offering the 2015 iPhone in two separate sizes -- one larger and one smaller.

It's not clear what Apple will call its 2015 iPhones, but Apple may stick to its long running "S" naming scheme (which has been around since 2009), calling the new phones the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus. iPhone 6s Plus is a mouthful though, so it is possible that this might be the year that we get a new naming format. One analyst believes Apple might call its next-generation phone the "iPhone 7" due to the significance of the new changes being implemented, but it's far too early in development to know for sure.

As the months pass by, details about the next-generation iPhone have begun trickling in. Because it's an "S" year upgrade and because the iPhone was just redesigned, the next-generation version will focus on internal improvements rather than an updated external look. Screen sizes will remain at 4.7 and 5.5 inches, and Apple is not expected to introduce a new 4-inch model.

There may be a few exterior changes, though. There's been a rumor that Apple could add a new color option to its iPhone lineup in 2015 -- pink. We've also seen two rumors suggesting Apple might opt to use the same 7000 series aluminum used in the Apple Watch in the next-generation iPhone. The aluminum is 60% stronger than standard aluminum but still lightweight.

In the past, "S" upgrades have brought features like Siri, Touch ID, new processors, and camera improvements, and we can expect to see many of the same updates with the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. According to rumors, the new devices will gain a faster A9 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 12-megapixel camera, an additional microphone to enhance voice quality, and potentially a new internal mechanical design to address some bending issues users experienced with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

The 2015 iPhones are also expected to gain the Force Touch feature first introduced with the Apple Watch, allowing for new gestures that incorporate pressure sensitivity, and improved Touch ID to make fingerprint recognition faster. A report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also suggested Apple may use sapphire in a limited number of iPhone 6s Plus units, "if drop test issues can be resolved."

According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the addition of Force Touch and 7000 series aluminum could slightly change the thickness and the dimensions of the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus. He believes the iPhones may be wider and taller by about 0.15mm to account for the aluminum, and 0.2mm thicker due to the addition of Force Touch. Those height and thickness increases will be minor enough to be nearly undetectable to most iPhone users.

The two new devices will also continue to offer features that have become integral to the iPhone, including Touch ID support, NFC for Apple Pay, 802.11ac Wi-Fi capabilities, and LTE Advanced.

Apple is likely to release the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus in the fall of 2015.

Rumored Features

FORCE TOUCH

Several rumors have suggested the new iPhone 6s could incorporate the "Force Touch" capabilities first introduced with the Apple Watch, which is able to distinguish between a light tap and a harder press, enabling new gestures. Apple appears to be slowly adding Force Touch to its products, and recently, the company introduced both a 12-inch Retina MacBook and an updated 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro with Force Touch trackpads.

One rumor has suggested Force Touch could be limited to the iPhone 6s Plus, which is not out of the realm of possibility as the iPhone 6 Plus does have features not included in the iPhone 6. For example, the iPhone 6 Plus is the only device with optical image stabilization. A second rumor has suggested that while that was originally the plan, Apple may now introduce Force Touch in both versions of the iPhone 6s.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that the next-generation iPhone will have a capacitive Force Touch sensor underneath the backlight. He claims that the hardware design of the Force Touch included in the iPhone may work differently than Force Touch in the Apple Watch and 12-inch Retina MacBook.

Instead of directly detecting the pressure applied by a finger on the screen, Force Touch hardware in the iPhone might monitor the contact area where a finger presses to determine how much pressure is being applied.

In June, Bloomberg reported the next-generation iPhones will indeed have Force Touch capabilities, confirming several previous rumors, including a report from The Wall Street Journal. With multiple reputable sources backing up the claim, it's likely Force Touch is a sure thing for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.

CAMERA IMPROVEMENTS

Some rumors have hinted that the iPhone 6s could bring Apple's "biggest camera jump ever" in the form of a possible two-lens system that would allow Apple to offer DSLR quality images in its iPhone, but other rumors have disagreed that Apple plans to introduce a two-lens system, sticking instead with the same 8-megapixel sensor found in previous iPhones.

Rather reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has believes the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus will gain an upgraded 12-megapixel camera, and his predictions are often correct. Separate rumors have also reiterated the claims of a megapixel increase.

Apple recently acquired LinX Imaging, a camera technology company specializing in cameras for mobile devices that are able to produce DSLR-quality images by using multi-aperture arrays.

LinX technology also introduces much-improved low-light photo taking capabilities, and due to depth mapping, it can even created 3D images from still photographs. It's possible LinX's camera technology could be used in the next-generation iPhones.

BETTER TOUCH ID

Touch ID may also see some improvements. According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 6s will feature an upgraded Touch ID module with reduced reading errors to enhance the Apple Pay experience.

A SAPPHIRE DISPLAY

iPhone 6 rumors focused heavily on a potential sapphire display that did not materialize due to production issues, and there have already been some whispers suggesting Apple will use sapphire displays produced by Foxconn for the next-generation iPhone. No new sapphire deals have come to light, though, so it is somewhat unlikely we'll see sapphire in the iPhone 6s.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that Apple may use sapphire in some models of the larger iPhone 6s Plus if issues with drop tests can be worked out ahead of mass production.

4-INCH IPHONE 6C?

There have been conflicting rumors concerning the addition of a new 4-inch iPhone 6c to Apple's 2015 lineup. Several rumors coming out of the Asian supply chain have suggested there will be a newly designed 4-inch iPhone "6c" released in 2015, but other reports have called these rumors incorrect, including a recent note from reliable KGI securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. For more on the iPhone 6c rumors, check out our iPhone 6c roundup.

iPhone 6s and 6s Plus

iOS 8 was the biggest iOS release ever, but it has probably been the most buggiest release ever as well. Apple has released several software updates, which has reduced some of my major annoyances such as not being able to take a phone call, copy link not Share sheet etc, but there are still quite a few bugs that need to be fixed like the Wi-Fi issues that users still seem to be facing, frequent crashes of Safari and other apps, but as you might have guessed from the title, I am not writing to talk about them. My biggest frustration currently is that multitasking on my iPhone 6 Plus hardly seems to work. Whenever I switch between apps, most often the app ends up refreshing, which means that I have to navigate back to what I was doing, which is a colossal waste of my time. While I am fine if it happens occasionally, the current experience is quite frustrating.

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus must-have feature: 2GB RAM or more

 So if I switch to Safari from an app or switch between tabs, it will reload the webpage, which also means that you end up using more data. If I am using YouTube, then it refreshes the app and takes me back to the Home page, so if I had searched for video, I have to search for it again, and hopefully find it, and forward it to the point I had stopped watching it etc. I am assuming that this is mostly because of the lack of RAM, though I am not sure why things weren’t so bad with the iPhone 5s, which had the same amount of RAM as the iPhone 6 Plus.

One of the strange things I have observed is that this happens a lot more with apps like Safari, YouTube, which makes it worse as they’re my most frequently used apps. I would be extremely happy if it is a software issue, and Apple magically fixes it in iOS 8.1.3 or iOS 8.2. If I had a PC or Mac, there was an easy way to fix the problem, I would have just upgraded the RAM to see if it helps.

I have used several iPhones since its launch, but this is the first time I’ve felt like disassembling my iPhone 6 Plus and upgrading the RAM (the reason for using the image above). So it may be a little early for a wish-list for the next generation iPhone, but I hope that the iPhone 6s Plus or iPhone 6 (or whatever Apple ends up calling it) has at least 2GB RAM. Though I highly doubt it will come with more than 2GB RAM, the chances of it coming with 2GB RAM seem to be quite good, since the iPad Air 2 comes with 2GB RAM and rumors have already indicated that next iPhone will come with 2GB RAM, in fact could Apple may use faster LPDDR4 RAM. Unless Apple fixes the issue I am having with a software update, I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to have at least 2GB of RAM in the next iPhone, if Apple cares about offering users a better user experience, which I know they do.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10

When we placed Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 in front of Joseph Volpe, it was all he could do not to roll his eyes. Rather than any headline features, the slate was merely an improvement on the second generation, just with a newer version of Android and, interestingly enough, an Intel chip. When he was done with it, Volpe remained as underwhelmed as when he’d began.

In his words, it’ll adequately do what you need it to do, but it won’t look pretty, or dazzle you with performance. At a price of $399, he suggested you take your cash elsewhere – but we imagine some of you didn’t heed his sage counsel. So, if you bought one, what did you think of it? Dive feet-first into our forum and tell us what you would have changed.

LG G4 Could 3K Display

According to myLGphones, a version of the LG G4 will not feature neither a 2K nor a 4K display – but 3K. If you are anything like me, your reaction to this news will be confusion. While we don’t have many details about the sources of this leak, it has apparently been confirmed true by a poster at hardare.fr that gave some more details on model names for each version of the upcoming LG flagship. However, these leaks don’t point towards all G4 phones having this resolution, but just the VS999 model that is allegedly coming to Verizon sometime this year.

The source claims that the UA profiles are not hard to manipulate, and that all of this could be bogus. They advise you to take this news with a pinch of salt, and frankly, I personally think you’ll need the whole shaker. But nonetheless, this makes for an interesting topic and, if true, a rather interesting development in the mobile industry. While everyone expected 2K or 1440p displays last year, and we expect 4K displays to come sometime near the end of 2015, I don’t think many expected phones to get to such an “in-betweener” state. Reports about 3K displays have been virtually nonexistent compared to the flood of articles predicting omens about the inevitable arrival of 4K.

It could be that, once more, LG wants to be at the vanguard of screen resolution. They pushed their 1440p LG G3 far and wide on this aspect alone, having being one of the first in the game. While Oppo had unveiled its Find 7 phone sporting the same resolution, LG beat them into the market and then completely overshadowed them with their G3 marketing campaign. I still remember the advertisements stating it was 4 times HD and touting the detail and sharpness of the screen. If LG would like to claim this spec primacy once more, 3K sounds like a reasonable solution, given that 4K screens are still far away and the next generation of chipsets will probably not be quite enough to push that many.

Will the Snapdragon 810 that is rumored to be in the G4 be enough for a 3K display as well? If you remember, the G3 featured a Snapdragon 801 that, while powerful, was obviously not quite ready to support a screen of that caliber. The results were pitiful GPU performance benchmarks, occasional stutters despite LG’s alleged optimizations, and disappointing game performance when compared to the more well-rounded phones. Despite all of this, however, the G3 became a success in great part due to this very screen, and it went on to become one of the most remembered phones of 2014. But with this strategy, LG could find themselves with a good success in their hands – just maybe not a top-notch user experience in terms of performance.

But then there are other technical aspects. First of all, the 1620×2880 screen would make for over 600 ppi. LG themselves declared 550ppi to be the most optimal configuration, to get “magazine print” quality. Their G3 was just short of that, but this phone surpasses it by quite a bit. Will they now say we need more? Or settle for that number, and claim that now they’ve finally hit (and surpassed) it? But then they’d fall back on their words next time they are required to upgrade the screen! We’ve covered the Resolution Wars in our article and we arrived at some nifty conclusions. While changes beyond 1440p will not be noticeable for many people, it still has some benefits and there’s a long way to go before achieving a perfect image. But here’s the glaring problem with 3K and 3K in particular: Its use for media consumption will be mitigated by the fact that we have 4K content being pushed, not 3K. By opting for the in-betweener you still miss out on a lot of the 4K resolution’s pixel count, and it makes this device seem a very short term transitory gimmick that will be severely out-upgraded in as little as 6 months.

I personally think this “premium LG G4″ will just be a water-testing gimmick designed to produce some extra niche sales. Luckily everything points towards it being a compartmentalized case that doesn’t conflict with previous reports, as other versions that we knew of before will still feature the more reasonable (for performance’s, battery’s, and upgrade’ss sake) 1440p screen that we are getting used to now. But if true, this would be the first year where major players adopted two resolution jumps in their phones. These developments might not be worth believing in their entirety, but they make for interesting discussion.

iPhone 7 Feature

The iPhone 7 rumors have already started pouring in even though the iPhone 6 just came out. Fans are speculating about the release date and features for the iPhone 7, among other aspects. 

 Mac World notes that it could actually be referred to as the iPhone 6S.

Meanwhile, Flickr user Jan-Willem Reusink has come out with some interesting iPhone 7 renderings.

They show a sharper body style as well as a reimagined home button.

Other improvements from the iPhone 6 include an edge-to-edge display, a completely solid back panel, and five application columns on the home screen as opposed to four.

Huawei Ascend Mate 7

A 6 inch screen in a compact smartphone

Huawei Ascend Mate 7 brings you the best of both worlds: a huge FHD screen on an ultra-slim metal body that fits like a glove in one hand. In fact, thanks to its almost invisible bezel and high screen-to-body ratio, it’s noticeably more compact than other 6” screen smartphones.

 Live Smart, Performance and efficiency

Huawei Ascend Mate7 is the first smartphone powered by a super eight-core Kirin 925 SoC chipset, which uses intelligent switching to provide the perfect balance between performance and power. Ideal for the most important things, like multi-tasking or enjoying your favorite 3D games or videos for longer.

360º fingerprint sensor

Life with Huawei Ascend Mate7 is all about you. So just touch the sensor, located conveniently on the back of the smartphone and your Mate7 recognizes your fingerprint, awakening instantly without the need to unlock or press any other buttons. Its innovative concave design and high pixel per inch ratio achieves a quick and accurate identification, making life with your Mate7 even more convenient.

 Advanced camera features

An exceptional smartphone deserves an amazing camera to do justice to the important moments in your life. A 13MP lens ensures sharp and detailed shots, while the 5MP front camera is perfect for enhanced video calling. With 1.2-second Ultra snapshot and low-light Performance, you can make sure you capture the right moment, whatever the conditions.

Live Simple, Huawei EMUI 3.0

EMUI 3.0 represents the next step up in user experience that simplifies your life with a revolutionary interface that provides simple operations, extraordinary functionality, and an emotional connection with your smartphone. With Huawei EMUI 3.0 everything you do on your Mate7 is easier and more enjoyable.

HISILICON KIRIN 925 OCTA-CORE PROCESSOR

Packing a HiSilicon Kirin 925 octa-core processor, the Huawei Ascend Mate 7 operational capacity and performance are enhanced by HiSilicon's heterogeneous computing approach. This chipset harnesses the robust integration of many components for incredible speed and power efficiency. Among them, the custom octa-core CPU architecture for sustained peak performance, integrated 4G LTE connectivity and Mali-T628 GPU for superior graphics and gaming experience, boosting 3D interfaces, colors and textures.

The FASTEST EMMC FLASH MEMORY

Using the new standard EMMC 5.0 you’ll be able to access and write on our 32GB of internal flash memory in the blink of an eye. 3GB of LP-DDR3 RAM running at 1866MHz allows flawless multitasking of even the most demanding apps.

4G LTE Cat 6

Enjoy blazing fast and smooth connectivity whether you're around the corner or across the world with Huawei Ascend Mate 7 powered by HiSilicon processor with a 4G LTE multimode modem. Unlocked and contract-free, roam wherever you'd like the Mate 7 by your side.

13 MEGAPIXEL SONY CAMERA

Many of us rely on our phones for taking all our photos, so we incorporated a camera that delivers astounding results. With dual LED flash, the Huawei Ascend Mate 7’s camera will take photos you’ll want to share, day or night.

ALL DAY POWER EFFICIENCY

Shipping with the energy efficient HiSilicon Kirin 925 chipset, the Huawei Honor 6’s 4100 mAh battery fits perfectly into the sleek body. The energy efficient display features CABC and DRAM (Display RAM) technology that adjust the level of backlight and differentiate between dynamic and static content on your screen. These technologies reduce the power consumed and allow you to run all your apps and data services, all day long.

FINGERPRINT SCANNER

With Huawei Ascend Mate7, getting into your phone is faster, easier, and even a little futuristic - a new fingerprint identity sensor.

New Emoution UI 3.0

Installs Emotion UI 3.0 base on Android 4.4 OS, brings the features you love while giving you the freedom to mold your mobile domain.

Xiaomi Mi Note Pro

5.7-inch 2D Glass Screen, Quad HD Display

An amazing product is built from amazing components, and once again we have raised the bar. We came to the decision early in the development of theXiaomi Mi Note pro that we wanted a 5.7-inch 2K display but while others only concern themselves with screen size and resolution, we have taken care of the details too. Working with AUO/Sharp we offer you a screen with advanced Panel Self Refresh (PSR) technology, lower power consumption, a pixel density of 515 PPI, up to 450nit brightness, and a 95% reduction in reflection thank to a full GFF lamination.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 64-bit Octa-core Processor

Packing a 2.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 quad-core processor, the Xiaomi Mi Note Pro operational capacity and performance are enhanced by Qualcomm's heterogeneous computing approach. This chipset harnesses the robust integration of many components for incredible speed and power efficiency. Among them, the custom Krait CPU architecture for sustained peak performance, integrated 4G LTE-FDD connectivity and Adreno 430 GPU for superior graphics and gaming experience, boosting 3D interfaces, colors and textures.

13 Megapixels SONY OIS Camera

The best camera is the one you have with you, Xiaomi Mi Note Pro has an incredible camera! Taking photos is fast and blur free with the 13-megapixels Sony IMX214 sensor, and a dual tone LED flash creates the perfect balance of light for night shots. Even the faster action can be tamed with a zero lag 30 fps burst mode.

Hi-Fi Sound

We understand that you have a life to live and you don't want to miss any part of it due to a flat battery. To give you the longest run time imaginable we have fitted the Xiaomi Mi Note Pro with a 3080mAh Sony/ATL battery, and sophisticated power management processor all controlled by MIUI. With this set up, you can focus on the day and not your battery.

Global 4G LTE Bands

The best camera is the one you have with you, Xiaomi Mi Note Pro has an incredible camera! Taking photos is fast and blur free with the 13-megapixels Sony IMX214 sensor, and a dual tone LED flash creates the perfect balance of light for night shots. Even the faster action can be tamed with a zero lag 30 fps burst mode.

MIUI 6

With amazing performance and customization options, MIUI 6 was always going to be the right choice of OS for Xiaomi Mi Note Pro. We even went a step further and have designed 5 particular wallpapers to match the color of your phone for more style points!

Nokia Lumia 1020 Camera 41MP PureView

Our last but one option is the Nokia Lumia 1020, which for our purposes came with a matching camera grip-come-body shell which slots onto the handset via its charging port.

 A second port is provided within the grip itself, so you don't lose out on any functionality. A clever if hardly high tech add-on, it feels like another step towards making phone photographers feel like real photographers.

Nokia Lumia 1020 - key specs:
 CPU: 1.5GHz Snapdragon MSM8960 dual-core
Camera: 41MP PureView
Display: 4.5-inch AMOLED PureMotion+, 768 x 1280 resolution
Capacity: 32/64GB internal, no microSD
 Dimensions: 130.4 x 71.4 x 10.4 mm
Weight: 158g
Extras: Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11n, NFC

Nokia Lumia 530

The Nokia Lumia 530 is the first Windows Phone in our top ten, and it's very deserving of its place. Considering that it can be easily picked up for under £80, you get a pretty decent little smartphone for your money. 

 The Quad-core Snapdragon 200 processor and 512MB RAM that the Nokia Lumia 530 comes with are enough to power Windows Phone 8.1 for a reasonably slick and smooth experience, though it is let down by coming with a rather paltry 4GB of storage space, but at least you can expand it with a microSD card. 

 The Lumia 530 also proves itself to be surprisingly adept at gaming and manages to keep pace with some of the more expensive Windows Phone handsets when it comes to playing graphically intensive games. It doesn't quite offer the performance of most of its Android peers in this list, however. 

 If you're after a cheap and cheerful smartphone that packs a number of features for a rock-bottom price, then you won't go too far wrong with the Nokia Lumia 530.

SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 4

If you want an amazing phone, and are leaning large this time around, the Galaxy Note 4 is one of your two best options. It’s never had strong competition before, but this year you can choose between it and a brand new iPhone 6 Plus. The Note kicked off the phablet trend a couple years ago, but can it hold on to the crown? 

Comfort four times refined 

Apple may be new to the phablet game, but this is Samsung’s fourth time around the supersize block, and the result is a very comfortable phone, despite its bulk.had the usual discomfort when I tried to stretch my fingers to various corners of the screen with one hand, but that comes with any of these big designs. You will get used to the size after a week, and some of you will love it. It would be nice if Samsung included a Reachability feature like the iPhone 6 Plus has, which pulls the screen halfway down so you can easily reach all corners. There are some hidden settings to resize the screen and adjust the position of the keyboard, but none of them work as well as Apple’s elegant solution. Samsung’s 5.7-inch screen matches the outgoing Note 3, and slightly edges out Apple’s smaller 5.5 inches, but they’re all pretty close. Though its phones are usually all plastic, Samsung has added an aluminum bumper around the edges with a nice shiny edge to it, like an iPhone 5. That’s not a slight, either. This is the best-looking Galaxy Note yet, and the faux-leather back has much better grip to it than any iPhone. The Note 4 feels and looks like a premium piece of tech, which isn’t always the case with Samsung phones. We’re very impressed by the new look, though it does come at a cost. Yet again, there is no water resistance in the Note 4. That’s sad. Those hoping for a waterproof design should look at the Galaxy S5. 

Phablet features 

The Note 3 was a confusing mess of features, but Samsung reigned itself in with the Note 4, focusing mostly on enhancing how you use the S Pen stylus and multitask with apps. 

S Pen: If you like styli or have any desire to digitally write or draw on a regular basis, the Note 4 is the only phone for you. When you pop out the S Pen, the Air Command radial menu opens right up, easily letting you select some different ways to highlight text and take screenshots. The Note 4 also feels a little more accurate and faster at writing than the Note 3. Action Memo is the best app, and lets you scribble notes or doodles with fine accuracy. 

The S Pen makes it easier to select text when you’re typing, and will quickly, accurately convert handwriting to text. Multitasking: If you enable multitasking in settings, you can run apps either windowed on the homescreen, or in split-screen mode, with one app on the top of the screen and another on the bottom. When you tap the Recent Apps button on the lower left of the phone, it brings up a cascade of apps you’ve recently used. If you touch and hold on the top of any of these apps, it will run windowed on your home screen, where you can drag it around or minimize it into a floating icon. Some apps, mostly from Samsung and Google, have a split-screen icon that will move them to the top of the screen and let you choose which app you want to run in the bottom. Both features work very well. 

A similar interface 

The Note 4’s Android skin looks and feels very similar to its Samsung brothers. It runs on Google’s Android operating system (version 4.4) and has access to the Google Play Store for apps. Sixty five bloatware apps pile up to 7GB, but sadly that’s no worse than most Android phones these days, and you can disable the ones you don’t want to use. Built-in Flipboard support means you can swipe left on the home screen to access Flipboard. It’s a nice touch, but if you don’t like Flipboard, you’re out of luck. 

 A quality camera 

The Galaxy Note 4 has a fantastic 16-megapixel camera. Like the GS5, it’s a big step forward from older Samsung phones, and the Galaxy Note 4 has the best Android camera out there. The image quality we got on most shots was good, but, as usual for a smartphone camera, it couldn’t match the iPhone 6. It can produce pics with more pixels, but they aren’t as beautiful. In most low-light shots, the iPhone 6 produced more accurate, more vivid photos.

LG G Flex 2

LG G Flex 2 is coming to CES 2015, right? It sure did! The G Flex 2 is officially official, looking every bit as the leaks and renders imagined it. Not only that, but LG’s curvy handset will be remembered as the one that kick-started the wave of Qualcomm Snapdragon 810-powered superphones. As if that’s not enough, the original G Flex’s self-healing back panel coating is back with an enormous speed upgrade, while the curved display’s glass coating has been strengthened with a chemical cocktail prepared by LG itself. And there’s more where that came from!

 The LG G Flex 2 is looking every bit as flexed as those leaked renders and images had us imagine. It’s also the first known smartphone to have the fresh out of the oven Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 64-bit processor at the base of its operations. As if that’s not enough to make the G Flex 2 special, the original G Flex’s self-healing back panel wizardry makes a triumphant comeback. Design-wise, the Android 5.0-powered handset combines the LG G3’s simple, practical style with the G Flex’s dynamic curves.

But if you’re left unimpressed and keep asking yourselves why LG made a banana-shaped phone, the answers we’re given are pretty convincing. The short answer is that LG, a renowned panel supplier, needs to bring its curved display technology to the market in some shape and form. The long answer is that, plus the ergonomic gains. The banana shape brings the handset’s microphone closer to your lips and makes it feel nicer to grip and hold against your ear.

However, we have our doubts on whether the G Flex 2 is sufficiently pocket-friendly. We’ll see about that when we’re finished gazing at its 5.5-inch 1080p display – both more reasonably sized, and with higher resolution and pixel density than the original’s 6-inch, 720p panel. The technology at play is, once again, LG’s plastic OLED as seen in the LG G Watch R. While the P-OLED panel appeared totally “naked” on LG’s circular smart-watch, the one on the LG G Flex 2 is covered with glass that’s been given a special treatment by LG’s chemists, resulting in a 20% improvement in toughness. And while we’re talking special materials, the self-healing back we mentioned has seen a dramatic boost in speed. The one on the original G Flex took about three minutes to heal, while this one restores itself in 10 seconds at room temperature.

In addition, LG introduces three new gesture controls. Gesture shot, the LG G3’s charming selfie-taking hand gesture, makes a comeback. Gesture View is an easy move for checking the last photo immediately after taking it. And Glance View shows the time, recent messages, missed calls and notifications on the display by swiping down on it while it’s off. This must be LG’s interpretation of the Nexus 6’s ambient notifications feature.

A SMARTPHONE THAT FLEXES SOME SERIOUS MUSCLE!

Speaking of photos, the camera sees an improvement as well. The LG G Flex 2 is outfitted with a 13MP OIS cam with laser auto-focus. We can’t know for sure whether is the same unit as the one in the LG G3, but having seen a similar configuration perform in it, the G Flex 2’s cam promises really nice photos taken in a split-second. The front camera, meanwhile, is just a 2.1MP unit, which is below average in the age of selfie-phones. And while we’re on the topic of hardware, let’s give the G Flex 2’s innards a more detailed examination. The handset runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 processor, a 2.0GHz 64-bit octa-core monster of a CPU. It is paired with 2GB of fast DDR4 RAM – it looks like LG is in no hurry to push for 4GB of RAM right now. There are 16 or 32GB of expandable on-board storage. The battery unit is of 3000mAh capacity with fast charge support (charges to 50% in 40 minutes).

Connectivity wise, the G Flex 2 offers 4G / LTE / HSPA+ 21/42 Mbps, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth Smart Ready (Apt-X) 4.1, NFC, SlimPort, A-GPS / Glonass, and USB 2.0.

All of this fits into a package sized 5.87 x 2.96 x 0.27in (at the thinnest spot) – 0.37 (at the thickest spot) (149.1 x 75.3 x 7.1 – 9.4mm).

The LG G Flex 2 will be hitting the South Korean market in the end of January, with a global launch set to follow soon after. It will be available in Platinum Silver and Flamenco Red. All in all, we’re looking at a smartphone that flexes some serious muscle, while filling in as a spectacular appetizer for the upcoming LG G4.

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus Buyers Guide

Preorders for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus start at 12:01AM PT tonight, and if you intend on purchasing the new iPhone, here’s a buyers guide telling you everything you need to know. Should you upgrade to the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus The first factor is of course if you should upgrade or not.

 The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have a whole bunch of new features, including a larger display, a better camera, a faster processor, a longer battery life and more. If you’ve completed your contract, the iPhone 6 starts at $199 and the iPhone 6 Plus starts at $299, both for the 16GB model with 64GB, and 128GB configurations available as well.

iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus

 Once you’ve decided you want to upgrade, the next question is “Which iPhone 6 variant do you choose?” The iPhone lineup had just one top-of-the-line model earlier, but this time there are two flagship models, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. The iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch 1334 x 750 pixels display at a pixel density of 326 ppi while the iPhone 6 Plus has a 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 pixels display at a pixel density of 401 ppi. You’ll be able to see more content on both phones, but the iPhone 6 Plus has an ever sharper display, which means text would be crisper, and the 1080p resolution will be great for watching HD videos. By virtue of being larger, the iPhone 6 Plus also has a longer battery life. The iPhone 6 Plus rear-camera has optical image stabilisation, where the lens moves to compensate for the shake motion while shooting. The iPhone 6 only has digital image stabilisation.

Which Carrier to choose?

 If you are considering switching carriers and finding the best plan for you based on cost and what each package includes in terms of talk, text and data, we’ve done the homework for you and prepared a guide: AT&T vs. Verizon vs. Sprint vs. T-Mobile: Which iPhone 6 carrier to choose based on cost

16GB, 64GB or 128GB 

 The next step is deciding which storage capacity to buy. Apple changed the storage configurations with the iPhone 6. While the lineup starts at 16GB, the next model isn’t 32GB, it’s 64GB, and the top storage capacity is 128GB. The choice here is heavily dependant on your usage patterns. If you use a lot of cloud storage and streaming services, then you’ll likely be ok with the 16GB model. If you shoot a lot of photos and videos or like playing heavy games, then you might want to go with the 64GB or 128GB option. 16GB, 64GB or 128GB — Which iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus storage capacity should you buy

Which color iPhone 6 to buy?

 The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus come in three colors: Space Gray, Gold and Silver. While the preference for a color is subjective, we have a post talking you through the three different choices. 

 Which iPhone 6 Insurance to choose 

 It is a wise idea to consider the various insurance options available to protect your expensive purchase. There are several protection plans and insurance plans available for the iPhone, that cover your costs if the iPhone suffers accidental damage. These include AppleCare+, SquareTrade, Credit Card warranties and more, and we walk you through each of the options in the post linked below. 

 Where to sell your current iPhone

 You can sell your current iPhone through a number of ways and use the extra cash towards your iPhone 6 purchase. There are a number of websites like NextWorth, Gazelle that specialise in dealing with used gadgets, but you can also sell it via eBay or Craigslist. Many carriers and retailers, including Apple, have their own trade-in program, where you can get store credit or discounts when you bring in your old iPhone.

iPhone 6 Sapphire Crystal Display 4.7

Sapphire is the birthstone of September, the traditional gift on your 45th wedding anniversary and a material associated with both luxury and ruggedness. It can be found in opulent products like jewelry, camera lenses and fancy watches. Given that, it’s also one of the toughest materials in the world, which makes it ideal for military-grade items like aviation displays and even missiles. So when rumors emerged that a sapphire display may be featured on the next iPhone, a chorus of excitement followed. However, many phone manufacturers don’t share the same sense of optimism that Apple might hold toward this different kind of next-gen display.

Earlier this week, YouTube vlogger Marques Brownlee showed what appears to be a sapphire display for the next iPhone. While the use of sapphire won’t be confirmed (or denied) by Apple until the product is released, the idea that it would want to use the material in its next flagship smartphone isn’t too hard to believe: The company announced late last year that it partnered with leading sapphire producer GT Advanced Technologies to build a manufacturing facility in Arizona. And according to a report from 9to5mac, the deal included enough new equipment to make around 100 million to 200 million iPhone-sized displays per year. There’s one major reason why manufacturers are looking into using sapphire displays: The material is strong. Very strong. Sapphire is about four times as tough as glass. Gorilla Glass, regularly found protecting current smartphone screens, fares pretty well against hard objects too, but in order to scratch sapphire, you’d need to find something higher than nine on the Mohs scale — a system of measurement used to rate mineral hardness from one to 10, with 10 being the highest. (For comparison, Gorilla Glass rates a seven; sandpaper is a nine; and diamond is a 10)

Using sapphire instead of glass for a smartphone display isn’t a groundbreaking concept. The material is already used in the (admittedly far smaller) protective glass covering the iPhone camera, as well as the 5s home button (for Touch ID); and luxury brands like Vertu, Savelli and TAG Heuer use sapphire displays in their existing phones. However, it’s no coincidence that existing sapphire display phones are incredibly expensive — manufacturing sapphire is time-intensive, limited by available quantity and very costly. The price of sapphire camera lens covers is 2.6 times higher than glass. On a large phone display, the difference in cost is even higher; last year, GT Advanced reps estimated the cost for a pane of Gorilla Glass at $3, while sapphire was around $30.

I reached out to multiple representatives from major smartphone players and while most companies I talked to had already researched and analyzed the possibility of using sapphire, their impressions were much more lukewarm than I expected. “The cost and supply aren’t where we’d like them to be for sapphire to be practical just yet,” said Ken Hong, Global Communications Director for LG. “Sapphire’s durability and scratch-resistance are certainly attractive, but Gorilla Glass isn’t going to be displaced anytime soon.” There are plenty of other issues associated with sapphire. It’s heavier than Gorilla Glass and the material remains less transparent than glass, meaning it would be more difficult to see the screen unless manufacturers add a special coating to increase transparency. (Even then, it still wouldn’t be as good as glass.) Additionally, each representative I talked to confirmed that while sapphire is durable, it certainly isn’t unbreakable. In fact, the larger the display is, the more brittle it becomes; “The sapphire is too hard to withstand bending,” said a representative of a top-tier phone maker who also asked to remain anonymous. “It’s easier to break during drop tests when the size of sapphire increases.”

Another representative replied, “In a cost-benefit analysis, I doubt [using sapphire] makes sense, unless there is some perceived marketing advantage.” Despite the potential downfalls of using such a material, that’s exactly what Apple would be gunning for by using the display in the iPhone: marketing power. Sapphire’s got a solid reputation; if the new iPhone features the same material used in premium watches, necklaces and earrings, and the company can throw it in without raising the price to consumers, Apple has a great new way to distinguish itself from the competition.

Even if other phone makers wanted to use sapphire displays, it would be difficult for them to secure enough inventory due to a very limited supply — a problem that the iPhone maker has avoided. “Apple uses its massive cash hoard to fund big upfront commitments for key components,” said Jan Dawson, chief analyst at Jackdaw Research. “[It’s] something that almost every other OEM but Samsung will struggle to do.” In other words, only large companies with enough resources and bargaining power will be able to secure enough sapphire for mass production. This doesn’t mean that sapphire displays won’t be embraced in the future; they might just come in a different form. We wouldn’t be too surprised if multiple hardware manufacturers decided to use the material on smartwatches for now, since the screens — and the number of devices to build — would be much smaller and thus more affordable than smartphones. (The Moto 360, for example, is rumored to have a sapphire screen.) Then, as supply goes up and production becomes more cost-efficient, more doors may open for phone makers who want to give sapphire a shot.

HTC One M9 Release Date and Price

HTC’s flagship phones are typically among the most beautiful models released each year. They’re often also a tad smaller than the increasingly large phones Samsung and LG put out. Now it seems HTC might break with tradition and offer a super-sized flagship with the One M9. Despite this name, it’s not certain whether the phone will replace the One M8 yet, or live alongside it as the sequel to the aging, but equally massive, One Max. It may even be a different device entirely, says one well-regarded leaker. 

 It may launch at CES 

A rumor from Upleaks said the Hima may arrive on all four U.S. carriers in March 2015. It was later tweeted it’s unlikely HTC will announce the Hima at Mobile World Congress, but will introduce the device at a separate event instead. Upleaks claims the Hima will launch in late March. The leaker does expect to see some new Desire phones launch at MWC in March. So when will it launch? In late December, Nowhereelse.fr write Steve Hemmerstoffer tweeted what appears to be a leaked press release render along with the claim that the HTC One M9 Hima will arrive at CES 2015 instead of in late March, as previously suggested. 

The same image was also discovered on the Weibo social network, where a January 5 announcement date was also stated. Of course, it’s unclear if this render is real or not and there’s no telling whether predictions of a CES launch date will prove true or not. We’ll be at CES next week, so we’ll all know soon enough. Screen may be jumbo-sized … or not A report from China hints that the next HTC One will sport a jumbo 5.5-inch screen with a Quad HD resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. Even though it’s just half an inch bigger, the jump from 5.0 to 5.5 inches is a huge one — especially for HTC. There is some debate as to whether the screen will be phablet-sized or not. Twitter leaker posted a possible list of specs for HTC’s next flagship phone, which is apparently codenamed Hima. 

Upleaks claims HTC will stick with a 5.0-inch full HD, 1080p screen. It’s an odd decision, if accurate, when nearly all its competitors are placing Quad HD screens on their phones; but it’s still early days for the One M9. It’s also possible that Hima isn’t the HTC One M9. In reply to one commenter on Twitter, said the next HTC flagship is the Hima, but the Hima isn’t the M9. In other words, these two sources could be talking about two different phones. Upleaks posted an updated spec list on his website just before Christmas, in which it’s reasserted the Hima will sport a 5-inch screen. The device’s full dimensions could be 144.3 x 69.4 x 9.56mm. Seeing as the HTC One M8 measures 146.36 x 70.6 x 9.35mm, it seems that the two phones will be similar in size. It will have high-end specs Along with the possible increase in screen size, HTC will reportedly add a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor and 3GB of RAM to the handset. However, depending on when the M9 arrives, the processor might end up being the Snapdragon 810. All that high-end hardware may be powered by a 3500mAh battery. 

 Meanwhile, posits the One M9 will pack Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 processor, along with 3GB of RAM, and a surprisingly small 2840mAh battery. The same leaker later posted benchmark results which show the exact same spec list. It’s unclear which report is correct, or if both of them have a kernel of truth. Good speakers and slick design Now that Apple has taken over HTC’s former audio partner, Beats Music, the company may look to another famous speaker maker for collaboration on the One M9. For a while now, HTC has been making its own speakers called BoomSound, and has dabbled with special edition phones endorsed by Harman Kardon; but Bose will supposedly provide the speakers for HTC’s next smartphone. HTC will probably keep the same high-quality build on the One M9, with a casing made of an aluminum silicon-carbide composite. Upleaks tweeted that the Hima will come in silver, gold, and gray color options. He later added in a gunmetal gold color option to his list of predicted colors. Two sharp cameras The One M9 will undoubtedly have a fine camera, as most of HTC’s phones do, but this time around it may not have an UltraPixel sensor anymore. Early reports mentioned a 16-megapixel sensor with optical image stabilization, but didn’t reveal anything about the front-facing camera. In late December, Upleaks hinted that the Hima will sport a 20.7-megapixel back camera and a 13-megapixel or 4-megapixel UltraPixel front-facing camera.

SONY XPERIA Z5

In this rapidly advancing technological world , there is no dearth of smart phones in our tech market. Release of one smartphone is followed by the rumors of two other smart phones which clearly shows how fast the smart phone manufacture has become. In past few years , so many companies have come up but only few have been able to maintain them. One of such companies is Sony .

 Sony is well renowed for its smart phones and its xperia series. It has been following the ritual of releasing its smart phones twice a year. This year , Sony Xperia released its two smart phones , namely Sony Xperia Z2 and Z3 . Sony is expected to walk on the same trajectory in the coming year 2015 too. It is going to release its two new smart phones – Sony Xperia Z4 and Z5 .

 It isn’t a new thing to hear of the rumors of a smart phone which is expected to be launched in the time of a year or so. Similarly , these days Tech world is full of rumors revolving around upcoming Sony xperia Z4 and Z5. There are so many rumors around its features , date of launch and price.

There is no official information regarding them , however Tech experts have been able to present us with a set of speculative features of Xperia Z5 on the basis of prior experiences , rumors and of course expectations. So we assume we may now discuss the features of upcoming smart phone…!!

As we already know , Sony Xperia Z5 will be released after the release of its predecessor Xperia Z4. So tech experts have formed their opinions regarding the Z5 on the basis of what Z4 might inculcate in it. So before talking about the features of Xperia Z5 , let’s have a quick look on what Xperia Z4 has to offer you !! Sony Xperia Z4 might offer Snapdragon 810 with quad core 3GHz processor, a 3GB RAM and 2K resolution display.

Xperia Z5 is expected to come up with something better in terms of its features and specifications. Tech experts are expecting an upgraded version of hardware. A new look is also on the top of expectations list . Its other important features are given below :-

• A 4GB of RAM is highly expected from xperia Z5. 

• Xperia Z5 might witness an octa – core 3GHz processor which will certainly be the fastest one among all its predecessors. 

• 5 inches of 4K resolution display is also in the store for you. 

• 27MP rotator camera might also be gifted to camera lover tech savy people.

• According to tech experts , you might also get Touch ID button and retina scanner too as security features. • You are likely to get another good news with the launching of this smart phone – faster charging battery. 

• Now enjoy a super large storage capacity – 128GB on- board storage memory 

•You are likely to get assured against some enemies of your phone as Z5 will be coming with waterproof , dust proof and shock proof technologies.

Samsung Galaxy A7 2015

Samsung is coming out with a new phablet that will incorporate a metal frame and comes at “competitive price point,” according to the Korean electronics maker.

The A7, unveiled on Monday, comes just a few months after Samsung announced its two smaller siblings, the A5 and the A3, in late October. The A7 is not only bigger, with a 5.5-inch high-definition AMOLED display, but also packs more computing power as it combines two separate quad-core processors. It also has a larger battery at 2,600 mAh, but still maintains a thickness of only 6.3 mm, making it actually thinner than the A5 and A3.

 The phone runs Android 4.4, has 4G LTE connectivity, and a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, along with a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. Inside is 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and a microSD card slot to add more memory.

Samsung declined to comment on the phone’s price or availability.

The smaller Galaxy A5 and A3 models initially targeted the Chinese market, where the South Korean handset maker is facing intense competition from rival vendors such as Xiaomi and Lenovo.

In last year’s second quarter, Samsung lost its top position as the country’s largest smartphone vendor, amidst the entry of more lower-cost phones entering the market.

Samsung lost market share globally in the third quarter of 2014 to about 24 percent from around 32 percent in the same quarter in the previous year, according to research firm Gartner. The company’s smartphone shipments dropped to 73 million in the quarter from 80 million in the third quarter of 2013.

The company has guided that its operating profit in the fourth quarter of 2014 is likely to have fallen by about 37 percent, largely on account of competition from Chinese players.

The Galaxy A series could help Samsung regain its position. In China, the A5 and A3 are priced at 2,599 yuan (US$424) and 1998 yuan, putting the phones in the mid-tier range.

Phones under the Galaxy A series use a metal frame design, a feature that some reviewers wanted to see in Samsung’s Galaxy S5 flagship device.

Samsung’s new A7 device could end up being offered as a cheaper alternative to its Galaxy Note 4, a high-end product that can start at 5399 yuan (US $870) in China.

Windows Phone Will Become Second stage In the Year 2015

Based on recent reports from IDC, the latest mobile operating system launched by Microsoft on the device in October last year that the Windows Phone, reportedly estimated to be the second platform that dominates the smartphone market in 2015. Whether this is true or not, but certainly all walks of life seem to have estimated such that.

 The existence of Windows Phone seems to be dominated only a fraction of the mobile market in 2011 this. Because in the market today there are only a few phone models that come with the greatness of the Microsoft platform support so far. While the change in magnitude alone are estimated to be happen in the year 2012 as Nokia which will jor-rod poured various Windows-based device model of his phone to the market.

Smartphone market worldwide is expected to increase significantly in the period of time, and able to penetrate more than 982 million devices by the end of 2015 will come.

Android is predicted to dominate the number one and dominate the mobile device market in that period, followed by Windows Phone on the second position, and IOS in the third. The presence of the greatness of Google’s platform is likely still will be the platform number one before the end of 2011 this.

During this year alone, the smartphone market will increase 55 percent per year, and reach 472 million devices. Whereas in the past year alone, various vendors have been marketing only about 305 million units worldwide. And to market new smartphone is expected to rise four times faster than the overall mobile phone market during this current year.

According to IDC’s own rapid growth will be driven by lower selling prices, an increase in functionality on the device, and the availability of lower cost data plan. And all that reportedly can make the handsets more accessible to a wider range of users.

“The gates were wide open smartphone market”, said Kevin Restivo, who now serves as senior research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.

“The mobile phone users around the world the middle there was a shift in the use of smartphone devices that are just talking and sms’s just now started to move as a device that allows its users to perform tasks of daily like shopping and banking from anywhere”.

“The trend growth in the marketplace is revealed especially developing countries. As a result, growth in regions such as Asia / Pacific and Latin America, will be felt dramatically over the coming years. “

LG G4 rumors

LG's successor to the LG G3, which we're guessing will be called the LG G4, could pack a 16-megapixel wide angle camera on the rear. That is, according to rumors emanating from Greek website Techmaniacs.

The presumed LG G4 will reportedly draw power from Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 processor, just like the G Flex 2 announced last week at CES. 

 Specs obtained by the tech site detail a wide-angle 16-megapixel camera with a 5,312x2,988-pixel resolution. Up from the 13 megapixels found in the LG G3, we might also expect to see this next generation phone include laser autofocus as well. 

 As to when we'll see the formal introduction of the LG G4, Mobile World Congress makes sense. Although it'll have been less than a year since the G3's debut, LG didn't wait a full year between the G2 and G3, so there is a precedent for a quicker release cycle. If LG is quick on the draw with releasing the G4, the company would potentially get a head start on HTC and Samsung's own flagships.

Samsung Galaxy S6 rumor

CES 2015 is behind us, which means it's time to start looking forward to the next technology smorgasbord: Mobile World Congress. New phones and tablets make the rounds at the annual conference held in Spain, but Samsung has yet to officially announce any word on its expected upcoming flagship smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S6. So, what can we expect from a Galaxy S6? All of this is conjecture, of course, but here's our best educated guesses on the details of Samsung's next big phone. 

 Announcement and release dates: March to April is the mostly likely option -- possibly at Mobile World Congress, or maybe at a totally separate Samsung-only event. Both have precedents: The Samsung Galaxy S5 was unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2014 in February; its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S4 got its own splashy (and unintentionally controversial) launch event at Radio City Music Hall weeks after MWC in March 2013. Both phones went on sale a few weeks later. 

 CPU: Expect top-of-the-line guts for the GS6. Whether that's a Snapdragon 810 quad-core processor from Qualcomm (as found in the upcoming LG G Flex 2) or Samsung's own Exynos 7420 is anyone's guess. The company could also have different CPUs in different territories -- something it's done with past flagship phones. 

 Screen: The well-regarded Samsung Galaxy Note 4 packs an attractive AMOLED display, and it stands to reason that the Galaxy S6 would follow suit. Rumors suggest that the screen size will be around 5.5 inches. 

OS:Android 5.0 Lollipop will be the star of the show, coupled with Samsung's TouchWiz Android skin. But there's a curious wrinkle here: some rumors claim that Samsung is hoping to dial down TouchWiz on the new device, with the aim of improving performance. 

 Plastic or metal?: This is anyone's guess, though devices like the all-metal Samsung Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3, as well as the Galaxy A7, suggest that Samsung might be looking to spruce up its image with premium metal designs. 

 Camera and more: We can likely expect a beefy front-shooter, too. Like it or not, smartphones at CES 2015 were all about the selfie, so there's a good chance Samsung will pay close attention to the oft-ignored front-facing camera. The Samsung Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4 both sported excellent cameras, though the former lacked optical image stabilization. That's becoming increasingly prevalent on kitted-out smartphones -- see the iPhone 6 Plus -- so it stands to reason Samsung would bake it into their latest phone's rear camera.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4's S-Pen -- the narrow stylus tucked handily inside Samsung's surprisingly successful, giant 5.7-inch Galaxy Note phone -- stands out in a crowd. No other popular phone comes with a stylus, and this one makes the most of its mouselike properties, and an ability to write and draw on the screen. 

Every day, I've used it instinctively to jot a list or note, and to keep the screen clean from finger smudges. The Note 4's specs also earn outstanding marks across the board, including its eye-poppingly vibrant display and a mostly-excellent 16-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization. Rapid LTE data speeds and a robust processor join a host of other specs and features that easily make the metal-rimmed, Android-powered Note 4 easily equal to other top-rated handsets -- and often better. 

The phone's drawbacks, though present, are minor and few. As someone who enjoys the physical act of writing, I love the Note 4's stylus skills. However, if the act of putting digital pen to paper baffles you, skip this handset in favor of other big-screen phones that potentially cost less and perform core tasks just as well. This year's Galaxy Note makes only incremental improvements over last year's runaway Note 3, and if you don't use the S-Pen heavily, the Note "phablet" costs too much compared to competing large-screen phones like the LG G3. 

 The Note 4 sells for $300 on-contract and $600 off-contract in the US; £600 or £650 in the UK; and AU$940 in Australia. Scroll to the end for price comparisons.