Weekend poll: LG G5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S7 edge

If you think about it, Samsung and LG are to "blame" for the current dominance of huge-screen handsets. Samsung got the ball rolling with the Note, LG killed off the phone/phablet distinction with the G3.

This year, however, both companies pulled back and their new flagships are smaller than their predecessors: from 5.7" S6 edge+ to 5.5" S7 edge, from 5.5" G4 to 5.3" LG G5. Their screens have another thing in common too, Always On mode.

The two diverge when it comes to the camera. The G5 has a secondary wide-angle camera while Samsung focused on low-light shooting and ultra-fast focus locks.

The Galaxy S7 edge is not nearly as locked down as the S6 before it. No, you still can't change the battery, but you get your microSD slot back and water resistance too (IP68).

The LG G5 went all metal and LG used a unique process to hide the unsightly antenna lines. The killer feature, however, is modularity - currently, a camera battery grip (with extra hardware controls) and a hi-fi DAC from Bang & Olufsen give you the option to upgrade your G5 even after purchasing it.

Well, you've probably read our thoughts on the LG G5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, now we want to hear what you think. Vote away!

Weekly poll: Xiaomi Mi 5 vs. Sony Xperia X Performance

Xiaomi traditionally serves the Asian market, but there's talk that the new Xiaomi Mi 5 will be its first phone to officially launch internationally. Sony, meanwhile, said the Xperia X Performance will definitely launch in Asia while its European availability is still being sussed out.

Both phones stick to the 5" 1080p format (the Mi 5 is 5.15", but close enough). They bring powerful Snapdragon 820 chipsets and a heavy focus on camera - 16MP OIS for the Xiaomi, 23MP for the Sony.

The Xperia X Performance is waterproof (only one in the current X lineup) and features Sony's traditional front-facing stereo speakers. This model has an option for a beautiful brushed metal back.

The Xiaomi Mi 5 comes with a glass/metal build as standard, but the premium Pro model will use ceramics and have a roomy 128GB storage option (there's no microSD slot here).

Both companies stepped up their design game, but spotty availability may hamper their growth. Still, if it was available in your region which one would you pick - the Xiaomi Mi 5 or the Sony Xperia X Performance?

February security update starts hitting Samsung's flagship devices

Samsung has announced that it has started rolling out the latest Android security update to its "major flagship models." The update includes patches from both Google and Samsung.

What's worth mentioning here is that the South Korean company didn't explicitly mention which of its flagship devices are getting the update, although reports say the list includes the Galaxy S5, Galaxy S6 family, Galaxy Note 4 and Note5, as well as the Tab S and Tab S2.

Of the devices mentioned above, the Galaxy Tab S2 has already started receiving the February security update. In addition, handsets from Huawei, Motorola, and BlackBerry, as well as Nexus devices have also received the update.

Samsung reportedly manufacturing 17.2 million S7 units before April

The highly anticipated Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are expecting to break last year’s initial number of Galaxy S6 units in the first three months following its announcement.

A Korean media outlet reports that Samsung is preparing to manufacturer a total of 17.2 million Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge units by April of this year.

Samsung is really hoping to break its previous record set by the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge which sold roughly 15.8 million units in its first three months after launch with the second most successful device title held by the Galaxy S4 selling just over 15.2 million units in its initial sale period.

Also, the company has reportedly changed its ratio of S7 and S7 edge where the S6 was manufactured 4:1 with the S6 edge constantly in short supply. This time around, Samsung wants to use a 6:4 ratio since it was not able to predict the roaring demand that the S6 edge had last year.

Samsung hopes the overwhelming reception to the Galaxy S7’s announcement this year at MWC is indication to the S7 and S7 edge’s success and should break the S6’s record for the first three months of sales.

64GB ZTE Axon Pro now selling for $324 in US

The 64GB variant of Axon's ZTE Pro smartphone has received a price cut in the United States, where B&H Photo is currently selling the model for $323.95. Those purchasing the device from the retailer will also get a gift card worth $50.

ZTE is officially selling the 64GB version for around $380 in the country, meaning B&H photo is offering over $50 direct discount, which coupled with the included gift card takes the total discount figure to over $100. Available color options include silver, gold, and blue.

Amazon also has the device listed for around $325, but the blue color variant is currently out of stock.

Android 6.0 factory image for Moto X Pure Edition (2015) now available for download

Motorola started rolling out the Moto X Pure Edition Marshmallow update back in December last year. Now, a couple of months after that, the first Android 6.0 factory image for the device has been made available for download.

The image carries a build number of MPH24.49-18_18, and to download it you need to first request access to a Google Drive folder, something which you can only do after logging in with a Motorola or Google account (head to the Source link below).

In case you missed, the Moto X Pure Edition has also started receiving the latest Android security update which brings up the handset's security patch level to February 1, 2016.

New OnePlus X update is aimed at fixing image corruption issue with device's camera

A month after the OxygenOS 2.2.0 update started rolling out to the OnePlus X, the company has pushed out another update that it says includes a hotfix for an image corruption issue with the device's camera. The issue in question has been reported by some users following the last update.

The update weighs in at 9.5MB. It's an incremental roll-out, meaning it may take some time before the update hits your device if it hasn't already. "We will try to cover everyone within the next 48 hours," OnePlus said in a post on its official forum.

For those who aren't already aware, the last month's OxygenOS 2.2.0 update brought along things like manual mode and save to SD card option in Camera App, USSD bug fix for India. as well as some other changes.

New 4-inch Apple device now rumored to be called iPhone SE

March is only a few days away now, and that means we're ever closer to Apple's much rumored spring event during which a new 4-inch iPhone is set to become official. Alleged details about this handset have been leaking for a long time, but perhaps the most disputed aspect of it has intriguingly been the name.

We've so far heard it could be called iPhone 7c, or the iPhone 6c, or the iPhone 5se. And today a new report claims it will be none of those. Instead, Apple is likely to choose to call it iPhone SE. "SE" will apparently stand for "special edition", if the unnamed sources behind this one are to be believed.

If this is true, then it will be interesting to see what a possible successor to the iPhone SE will be called, if there will ever be one. iPhone SE2? iPhone SEs? The New iPhone SE? It's anyone's guess at this point.

Anyway, the iPhone SE's pricing will match that of the iPhone 5s (pictured above), it's been revealed. It will look identical to that handset, except for slightly curved edges around its sides. It will come with the A9 chipset, an "upgraded" 8 MP main camera, NFC and Apple Pay support, as well as the latest Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and LTE radios. It will be offered with either 16 or 64GB of storage.

Apple's event during which the iPhone SE will be announced might take place on March 15 orMarch 22, according to some contradictory rumors we've heard. In either case, it's availability should follow mere days after the unveiling. A new 9.7-inch iPad Pro will be revealed on the same occasion.

Xiaomi at MWC 2016 Xiaomi Mi 5 hands-on

The MWC 2016 welcomed another much-hyped flagship. Xiaomi VP Hugo Bara was the one to introduce the Mi 5 alongside a beefed-up 64GB model and the exclusive ceramic version called the Mi 5 Pro.

We also caught the Xiaomi Mi 4s, an upgrade of the popular Mi 4c.

The Xiaomi Mi 5 will be available in three different editions: the basic 32GB model, an enhanced 64GB flavor with faster processing, and an exclusive ceramic back edition with a whopping 128GB of storage, a more potent processor, and 4GB of RAM.

Sony Xperia X - release date TBC

Sony managed to pull the wool over everyone's eyes with its smartphone announcements at this year's MWC. Instead of announcing the Sony Xperia Z6 as everyone expected, it instead announced three handsets under the 'Xperia X' moniker. There's the Xperia XA, which is the lower-tier device, and the Xperia X and Xperia X Performance. 

The Xperia X has a smooth metal back, which is a nice change from the glass-panel backs on the previous Xperia Z models. There's a 23 megapixel rear camera with new predictive hybrid autofocus. The lens hasn't changed from the Z5 but the new AF should be a big improvement. microSD card slots are available and you can install a card up to 200GB to supplement the built-in storage. There single- and dual-sim options, with the latter having more internal storage at 64GB. The single-SIM model will make do with 32GB. Sony is making some bold 'two-day battery life' claims, too, but we'll need to get one in to see how it fares in reality.

Sony keeping quiet about UK pricing and release dates right now but I'll update when these are announced. Read our hands-on review of the Sony Xperia X to find out more.

LG G5 - April

Arguably the most interesting of the big announcements at MWC 2016. The LG G5 now has a magnesium alloy chassis, so its build quality has vastly improved on last year's plastic affair. LG's taken a surprising modular approach with its latest flagship handset. While replaceable batteries aren't exactly the most exciting things in the world, things get a little more intriguing with the LG G5's manner of battery swapping.

The entire bottom now slides off and you can simply swap the battery over and slide it back in. But that's the least interesting part of the G5's modularity. Various different modules are available that add extra functionality, such as the Cam Plus module that will be useful for photographers, or the Hi-Fi Plus module for the audiophiles. The LG G5 will also work with a number of separate devices from LG, which the company refer to as 'Friends'. This includes the LG 360 Cam for 360-degree video.

Samsung Galaxy S7 - March 11th

Samsung's handset plan for 2016 is as predictable as Apple's. Samsung took to MWC 2016 to unveil the new Galaxy S7 at its Unpacked event. To get the important parts out of the way, the new Samsung Galaxy S7 will be available from March 11th, although pre-ordering directly from Samsung will get you the device a whole three days earlier for the particularly impatient. The 32GB unlocked version will cost £569.

Externally, the chassis isn't drastically different from last year's Galaxy S6, as the same materials and colours have made a return. Instead, changes have been made internally. This is beyond just the specifications upgrades, so expect the S7 to be more than just faster than last year's model. The S7 is now IP68 waterproof, meaning it can handle being submerged to 1.5m for 30 minutes and there's no need to use rubber caps to block the ports, either.

What will make a lot of people happy is the return of the microSD card slot. This can be expanded by up to 200GB (but expect such cards to be very expensive). Adding another 32GB of storage won't cost much, however, so the return of expandable storage is great news. Android Marshmallow also handles extra storage far better than previous versions, too. The S7's battery life has also seen a capacity increase, so we're hoping for more longevity.