Leaked Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) and J7 (2016) user manual hint at metal frames yet again

The Samsung Galaxy J5 and J7 are less than a year old, but their and the Korean giant is about to roll out improved models for 2016. We already know that both budget-friendly handsets have received their Bluetooth SIG certification and the latter has also made a visit to FCC, so, it seems to be only a matter of time, before the refreshed 2016 editions become available.

This might actually happen any time now, as suggested by a pair of official user manuals for the China Mobile and China Telecom versions of the handsets, found on Samsung servers. This might also be a sign that the J7 (2016) and J5 (2016) will be made available in China ahead of other markets, which was also the case with their predecessors.

As for the contents of the manuals, they hold little additional information in terms of hardware and specs, but there are still a few bit and pieces of information here and there. For one, the antenna slits that we first saw in the TENAA certifications a few days ago are once again clearly visible.

Although nothing about materials is specifically mentioned, we think it is fairly safe to assume that the plastic is in place to accommodate radio reception through the metal removable back covers. This, of course, suggests that both phones will be the first budget offers from Samsung to feature a metal unibody. Even better, it will be detachable to give access to the large removable batteries - as big as 3,300 mAh on the J7.

The menus also reference Android 5.1.1, as well as the Samsung Music app, which has been disappearing and reappearing lately on many devices, as Samsung still seems undecided on its future.

LG Stylus 2 is the first phone with DAB+ radio, it's coming to Europe and Australia

Some of our commenters often ask about FM radio on smartphones, but did you know that Norway will kill of FM broadcasts in 2017 and replace them with DAB+, the digital radio standard (that's free and open, unlike the digital radio the US gets).

LG is pouncing on this opportunity with the LG Stylus 2 - the first smartphone with DAB+ support. Norway, along with Australia, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK will be among the first countries to get the Stylus 2 (LG is mum on the exact date, though).

The phone itself is a 5.7" entry-level handset with a 720p screen (yes, on that diagonal) and a capacitive stylus. It's powered by a quad-core processor (1.2GHz) with 1.5GB of RAM, has a 13MP + 8MP cameras and a 3,000mAh battery. On the upside, you do get Android 6.0 Marshmallow and LTE. And a 1W loudspeaker for the radio.

So, what's DAB+? For one, it's based on the HC-AAC codec (while regular DAB is MP2, similar to MP3). And since it's a digital broadcast it can carry more advanced data than FM RDS and features things like caching, similar to Internet streaming (but it's free and requires no carrier data).

LG says that broadcasters can make apps to enhance the listening experience with additional data pulled from the web.

Phone trivia sidenote: while the LG Stylus 2 is the first with DAB+, the first phone with DAB seems to be the Virgin Lobster 700TV. I don't know if it was the name or the looks, but it failed to bolster DAB adoption.

Alleged drawings of the iPhone 7 show repositioned antenna lines and a larger rear camera

We have already heard a lot about the iPhone 7, in keeping with tradition, expected to come this fall, but sightings of the device or parts and even sketches of it have been a rare occurrence. However, today, now here else.fr or rather the tipster known as On Leaks, brings us what he claims to be early sketches of the iPhone 7.

There are a few observations to be made based on the technical renders. From the looks of things, Apple has indeed done a lot of work on the antenna stripes, but sadly, instead of removing them, or rather hiding them underneath a special finish, like previously suggested, they are simply repositioned to the very edges on the frame.

Another thing worth noting is the obviously bigger camera lens, which suggests a redesigned camera module, perhaps with a faster aperture and larger sensor. As for the infamous camera bump, which rumors have suggested will be absent on the iPhone 7, it is hard to say from the low-res monitor photo, taken at an angle. Under close inspection, some sort of ring does appear to be present, but the accompanying renders, suggest it will be merely a color accent around an otherwise flat module.

As for the previously suggested dual-camera setup on Apple's new phone, it still remains a possibility, as it is allegedly intended only for the bigger 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus, whereas this leak claims to pertain only to the 4.7-inch model.

To further thicken the plot, OnLeaks also claims to have found a couple of live shots of the dual-camera module in question. They look pretty plausible, but sadly, we have no way of confirming a definite connection to Apple or the iPhone.

Last the possible absence of a 3.5mm audio jack has quite understandably been stirring a lot of controversy. While the new shots don't prove the claim visually, the source has confirmed that Apple will indeed remove the port, in order to slim down the body of the phone.

Gionee W909 clamshell to officially debut on March 29, fingerprint sensor in tow

The Gionee W909 is the company's upcoming clamshell phone, which we've been expecting to come out since January, when benchmarks of the devices surfaced. The wait will soon be over as Gionee has sent out press invites for the phone's unveiling on March 29.

The Gionee W909 will feature a MediaTek's Helio P10 chipset, also known as MT6755. This 64-bit SoC features a 2 GHz octa-core Cortex-A53 CPU and the Mali-T860 GPU. In the W909 it's paired with a whopping 4GB of RAM.

A neat feature of the phone will be its fingerprint sensor. The rest of the alleged specifications include dual displays of HD resolution, 32GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot.

At the back, there's a 16MP camera coupled with a 5MP at the front. The phone measures 124.6 x 62.5 x 16.4 mm and weighs around 210 grams.

The W909 is expected to be priced at $615 (CNY 4,000), but whether it'll retail outside China isn't clear yet.

Rumor says Meizu Pro 6 will have 6GB RAM

As you might already know, the Xplay 5 Elite from vivo recently became the world's first 6GB RAM smartphone. And now, if a latest rumor is to be believed, Meizu will also join the 6GB RAM club with its upcoming Pro 6 smartphone.

Meizu Pro 5

The rumor also says that the successor to the Pro 5 will be launched in two versions: one with 6GB/128GB memory configuration, while other with 4GB/64GB configuration.

Other yet-to-be-confirmed specs of the device include 1080p display, Exynos 8890 SoC, Hi-Fi 3.0, Flyme 6.0 OS, and fast charging. If you recall, Meizu's VP and Flyme chief architect Yang Yan recently shared a screenshot revealing that the handset will feature 3D Touch/Force touch.

ZUK launches sandalwood-themed Z1

A few months after outing an oak-themed variant, Lenovo-based ZUK has unveiled a new Sandalwood version of its Z1 smartphone. The premium looking variant carries an RMB 1,599 price tag in China, which translates into around $250 at current exchange rates.

Specs-wise, the new variant is more or less similar to the standard variant with SD801 SoC, 5.5-inch 1080p display, 3GB RAM, 64GB storage, 13MP/8MP camera combo, and a large 4,100mAh battery. It runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box with ZUI 1.6 atop.

The handset will be available from ZUK's official website as well the company's flagship stores. First 50 online buyers will get free Skullcandy earphone while the next 50 buyers will receive an original leather case for free.

Windows 10-powered Vaio VPU051C11N passes Bluetooth certification

A new Windows 10-powered smartphone has received certification from the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). The listing reveals that it's a Vaio device manufactured by Taiwan-based company Quanta Computer.

As you might already know, Vaio announced Windows 10-powered Phone Biz last month in Japan, where it is set to go on sale next month. However, it is less likely that the new phone is the Phone Biz given that both carry completely different model numbers - VPU051C11N and VPB0511S, respectively. And not to mention that the company has already confirmed that it currently has no plans to launch the Phone Biz in the US.

A Quanta MTP8952 phone powered by Snapdragon 615 and sporting a 4.7-inch 1080p display was spotted at GFXBench late last year. However, that's not enough to speculate the MTP8952 is the same device that has been certified by Bluetooth SIG.

Android N comes with emergency info screen

As you probably heard, Google made a developer build for the upcoming Android N OS available, a little earlier than expected this year and since then, Android tinkerers, us included, have been busy playing around with the early version.

And while some new features were apparent and nicely detailed in Google's release notes, there are naturally quite a few little things hidden here and there to be discovered. One such interesting feature, that we didn't cover in our initial features overview is a new emergency information screen.

What it is, is basically a way for you to store vital personal info, so it can be easily available to anyone who picks up your phone in case of emergency. And this time around, Google has made it a little bit more elaborate than the already available emergency lock screen message.

The feature allows you to enter personal info like your name, address and date of birth, but also vital medical facts, like blood type, known allergies and any other special condition you may have or medication you may be on. This could be invaluable to a first response or medical team in case of a crisis. It never hurts to be prepared.

You can setup the info insider the Android N Developer build under Settings > User in the menu or by opting to go through additional steps at the end of the initial device setup process. Currently the menu only has the Emergency info option listed, which leaves room for more interesting new features yet to come. Once set up, the info can be brought up by a couple of taps on the "Emergency" button that appears on the lock screen of the device and is naturally accessible regardless of the lock security in place.

It is also worth noting that since Android N is still very much in its infancy when it comes to public builds and exposure, the feature might be altered or even dropped at any point.

The new OnePlus gallery app is a straight-forward as it gets

If you are the proud owner on a OnePlus 2 handset and have been aching for a new gallery experience, then you can rejoice as the company just announced its new OnePlus Gallery app. It is available now on the Google Play Store, but currently only for the aforementioned top end model, running OxygenOS v2.2.1. Support for the manufacturer's other pair of phones, as well as other handsets is possibly on the way.

OnePlus describes the app as streamlined so if you are a power user needing advanced features and tricks for your extensive photo library, you will undoubtedly find it a bit basic.

The OnePlus Gallery app offers all the fundamentals you would expect from a default gallery - nothing more, nothing less. It comes with a clean black interface, automatic collections and a quick editor that can crop, rotate and if you are feeling particularly adventurous - doodle.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge put to the test: water, drops and bends face the flagship duo

The Samsung Galaxy S7 is having a Sarah Connor moment - bots are out to get it. Square Trade, which sells warranty on your gadgets, tested the S7 and S7 edge to see if it lives up to Samsung's claims of durability.

The flagship duo was faced with two new bots. Deep Water Dunkbot places phones under 5ft / 1.5m of water and keeps them there for half an hour (that's the IP68 level).

Both the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge survived the ordeal, but not without paying a price - their audio was "permanently muffled and distorted". The iPhone 6s lost all audio and its screen suffered water damage while the iPhone 6s Plus handled it even worse - it malfunctioned after 10 minutes and completely died at the 24-minute mark.

Then came the TumbleBot. As the name suggests, the bot continuously tumbles phones at 50rpm for 30 seconds. The iPhone 6s came out unscathed, but the 6s Plus screen shattered. The Galaxy S7 and S7 edge had significant damage to their back panels; the screen had only minor cracks.

Things got more aggressive with the drop test - the S7 screen shattered on its first face-first fall and survived only four edge-first falls. The Galaxy S7 edge did better, lasting two face-first plunges and seven corner drops.

The final round of the gauntlet was the bend test, where Square Trade found Samsung hasn't improved much. The Galaxy S7 edge bends at 110 pounds and snaps at 170 pounds while the smaller S7 withstood 170 pounds (matching the iPhone 6s).

Amazon Daily Deal: SanDisk 200GB microSD for $60

200GB of microSD storage for $80 was a good deal, but for the next 18 hours, you can get the same storage for just $60.

Amazon.com is running a promotion on the SanDisk card. The card is rated at 90MB/s read speed ("1,200 photos in a minute") and can hold 200 hours of FullHD video.

Adorama is selling the same card at $80. Soon, Amazon will be back on that price too.

Sony's Concept N headphones can provide a soundtrack, without isolating you from the crowd

Sony and audio innovation have always been a perfect fit. Nowadays, the pace might have slowed down a bit, but the Japanese giant still has some interesting concepts to offer from time to time, like the new N headphones.

The device more or less follows the neck bracelet form factor, like on the LG Tone or the Samsung Level U. However, the band itself holds speakers that are specifically designed to direct sound upward to the listener. This produces an interesting effect, where the wearer hears the music and also his or her surroundings, while advanced acoustics help keep splash out noise at a level that Sony claims will generally be drowned out easily in most every environment.

This seems to be the primary goal of the Concept N headphones - providing some background music, while still allowing you to be aware of your surroundings on the street, where is is most important or even during a conversation - a personal soundtrack for your life! As an added bonus, Sony has also included a pair of more traditional ear buds that connect to the main device and take the music a little closer to your ears. However, traditional might not be the best term here, as the ear buds feature an odd cone shape with a hole in the middle. The end goal is the same - retain awareness for the surroundings.

In keeping with current trends, Sony has also extended the functionality of Concept N beyond simply being a Bluetooth audio accessory. The device also comes with a camera and voice controls, which the OEM has programmed to respond to instructions beginning with "Arc". This way, you can snap shots instantly and we have no doubt that there will be some form of smartphone device control integrated in the future.

Concept N was demoed at SXSW and is the brain child of Sony's newly formed R&D outfit - Future Lab. It is still in beta phase and we can definitely expect similar concepts and refinements in the near future.