Apple announces new 9.7" iPad Pro with a True-Tone display

Apple iPad Pro is getting an offspring today with a smaller 9.7" version, honoring the first iPad ever released. The new Apple iPad Pro runs on the same Apple A9X as the 12.9" iPad Pro - a dual-core Twister processor with 4GB of RAM.

The new 9.7" iPad Pro introduces a new True-Tone display with 2048 x 2732 pixel resolution. In addition to the added support for Night Shift, courtesy of iOS 9.3, the new display relies on a pair of new ambient sensors. Thanks to those new sensors the display can now match your ambient color temperature and adjust to it.

The new display is 500 nits bright, has a wide color gamut (DCI P3), and is arsenic free, as usual.

The new iPad Pro has an upgraded camera compared to the previous one - a rear 12MP camera, and a 5MP selfie camera with the option of Retina (screen) flash.

There are 4 speakers on the new iPad Pro, just like on the larger version generation.

It is made of the same aluminum material. You will be able to get it in Space Gray, Silver, Gold, and Rose Gold.

The new iPad Pro is compatible with Apple Pencil thanks to its pressure and tilt sensitive layer. Its display also features palm and finger rejection, when using the iPad Pro with the Pencil.

The new iPad Pro (Wi-Fi) comes in three storage options - 32GB for $599, 128GB starting at $749, and 256GB starting at $899. The new iPad Pro will become available on pre-order on March 24, while the actual sales begin on March 31.

Naturally, Apple will be offering compatible Smart Keyboards fitted for the new iPad Pro, while the Pencil is the same as last year.

Apple iPad Air gets a price cut too, now starts at $399

Apple didn't only announce the new iPhone SE and 9.7-inch iPad Pro at its event today, it also changed the price of an existing product too.

As expected, despite the introduction of the new iPad Pro of the same size, the iPad Air 2 from 2014 will remain on sale for those who don't care that much about the latest and greatest hardware. Its price has been dropped, however. The iPad Air 2 will thus start at $399 from now on, in Wi-Fi-only form with 16GB of storage. That's $100 less than before.

If you want 64GB of storage, you'll need to shell out $499. Those are the only two options currently still available in Apple's online store. It's unclear if the Wi-Fi+LTE version of the iPad Air 2 will be discontinued or not.

Apple iPhone SE official with a 4" display and A9 chip

Apple just announced the iPhone SE with a 4" display. The phone features a body almost identical to the iPhone 5 and 5s, but features the latest gen Apple A9 chip with a dual-core 1.85 GHz Twister processor and PowerVR GT7600 six-core graphics.

The 4" display rocks a resolution 1136x640 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of 326 ppi. The iPhone SE also features Retina Flash, which momentarily makes the screen three times brighter when you take a selfie. The 3D feature from the larger current gen iPhones hasn't made its way to the SE though.

The Apple iPhone SE features the same 12MP iSight camera as its iPhone 6s and 6s Plus siblings. It comes complete with 4K video recording. The front-facing camera is 1.2MP and is complemented with the Retina Flash feature.

iPhone SE's design is virtually the same as the iPhone 5s', but the Home button has gotten smarter with Touch ID and Apple Pay support. As far as measurements go, they're also the same as the iPhone 5s with a weight of 113 grams.

The best part about the iPhone SE is its price - it starts at $399 for 16GB of storage, while $499 nets you the 64GB version. The smartphone will be available for free with a two-year contract in the US as well as in $17 monthly installments.

Pre-orders commence on March 24, with sales starting on March 31. The phone will be available in four color versions, including the trendy Rose Gold.

Developing...

Galaxy S7 and S7 edge pre-orders in Europe top S6 pre-orders by 250%

Despite certain flaws, the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge beat the pre-orders of their predecessor byimpressive multiples - the new, attractive design drew in consumers.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge became available globally 10 days ago (March 11) and early reports are starting to come in. The new flagships kept the design almost intact but brought back well-loved features from the homely S5 (waterproofing and microSD slot).

And it worked - combined pre-orders for the S7 duo in Europe are 250% higher than those for the S6 last year. In China, the biggest smartphone market in the world, pre-orders topped 10 million. Online retailer JD.com and electronics retailer Suning scored 6.4 million and 1.4 million respectively.

China is a tough market for Samsung - local brands are looking to build flagships at a much lower cost and they have the support of Chinese carriers. Samsung is currently 6th with 7.7% market share. Analysts believe the VR functionality will wow consumers.

Early sales in India, where the S7 and S7 edge launched last Friday, have reportedly beaten expectations as well.

Note that Samsung no longer provides sales figures for its flagship devices so all we have is estimates. Still, Samsung Mobile President Dongjin Koh says "I've gained confidence to do well after checking responses from major retailers and holding meetings with carriers in China."

Watch Apple's keynote right here

Today is Apple's big day and it's almost time for the event to start, so grab a bag of popcorn and prepare to be dazzled. The show is set for 10 a.m. PDT, which translates to 5 p.m. GMT and, as usual, Cupertino will be live streaming the keynote.

It should also come as no surprise, that Apple users have it easy. Any iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with Safari on iOS 7.0 or later, or a Mac with Safari 6.0.5 or later on OS X v10.8.5 or later are capable of tuning it and so are Apple TV's, all the way back to second generation, running software 6.2 or newer. For everybody else it's not all bad news either, as Microsoft Edge on Windows 10 is supported as well.

If you are on a device that falls into any of these categories, simply head on over tohttp://apple.com/live. We will also do our best to get our hands on a direct link for you to watch with any capable software, like VLC for instance, but one isn't available yet.

UPDATE: This is the link: http://p.events-delivery.apple.com.edgesuite.net/1603kjbnadcpjhbasdvpjbasdvpjb/m3u8/hls_mvp.m3u8

As for expectations, we have heard a lot of rumors about the iPhone 5se, said to resurrect the 4.0-inch form factor and thus quite possibly the star of the show. A new iPad Pro is also a distinct possibility and so is a new MacBook. For more details, you can check our rumor round-up.

Apple 21 March event rumor roundup

Apple's "Let us loop you in" event is happening in a few hours, bringing us a new iPhone, a new iPad, and possibly, a new MacBook.

iPhone SE

It's been a while since Apple stirred things up with a cheaper iPhone in the face of the 5c. While it wasn't a huge success, the iPhone 5c gave Apple some invaluable experience, which will hopefully be put to good use in the upcoming iPhone SE.

The iPhone SE moniker purportedly stands for "Special Edition" and the phone is expected to cost $400-$500. With its 4" display, the phone will be a modern-day version of the iPhone 5s. Inside, there's talk of an A9 chip with M9 co-processor and 1GB of RAM.

There will be a 12MP camera at the back with dual-LED flash and 4K video recording. The resolution of the screen is yet unclear, but what we know is the 16GB internal storage. 64GB variant is also likely, with no 32GB middle ground available.

iPad Air 3

The upcoming Air 3 is also commonly referred as a scaled-down iPad Pro. According to rumors, Apple will equip the latest Air 3 tablet with an A9X chip, 4GB of RAM.

Additionally, it's believed the 3D Touch feature of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus won't make it to the iPad Air 3. Latest rumors suggest the 9.7" slate will start at $599.

The event start soon, so get yourself prepared for the Apple news storm.

Another Nubia passes through TENAA - possibly the Z11 Mini

If you are familiar with the Chinese mobile landscape, you might have noticed that Nubia (the ZTE sub-brand), one of the relatively big-name players, has been keeping a rather low profile lately. In fact, the manufacturer has been teasing us with various rumors about a new flagship offer, allegedly caller the Z11, going as far back as November 2015. After missing two consecutive suggested launch dates, one on January 5 and the other on January 18, the device is starting to prove quite illusive.

However, not all hope is lost yet, as a new TENAA certification entry suggests Nubia is also busy on what looks like a mini version of said flagship. Hopefully this means that both devices are close to a release. As for the assumed Z11 Mini title, it is rather justified, considering the visual similarities with renders of the Z11, as well as the company's current naming convention. Unlike its bigger sibling, equipped with a 5.2-inch 1440p, edge to edge curved display, Snapdragon 820 SoC and 4GB of RAM, the TENAA listing for the handset in question suggests a 5-inch 1080p display with 2.5D glass on top, 3GB RAM and an undisclosed 1.5 GHz processor.

Other specs include 64GB of onboard storage, a 2,750 mAh battery and a decent 16MP plus 8MP camera setup. As for appearance, the phone looks slick, complete with what looks like a metal frame, the typical Nubia red color accents and a round fingerprint reader on the back. Not much else is known about the Android 5.1.1 smartphone yet, but an alleged price tag of CNY 1499 (around $230) has been tossed around online.

HTC Desire 816 dual sim starts receiving Marshmallow update

The Desire 816 dual sim phone from HTC has started receiving the Marshmallow update. The update, which brings Android version 6.0 and Sense UI version 7.0, is currently rolling out in Saudi Arabia.

The update is being rolled out in two parts, with the first being around 55MB in size, while the second weighing in at over 1GB. The former prepares your device for Marshmallow, and the latter actually installs the Android 6.0.

As you'd expect, the update includes the usual Marshmallow goodies, including Google Now on Tap and redesigned app permissions, although it's a bit surprising to see that the official Desire 816 dual sim‎ Marshmallow update page doesn't list Doze as an included feature.

vivo launches entry-level Y31A with Snapdragon 410, 4.7-inch display

Six months after outing the Y31, vivo has launched the Y31A. The device is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 410 chipset and sports a 4.7-inch (540x960 pixel resolution) IPS display.

It comes with 1GB RAM and 16GB expandable internal memory, and packs in a 2,100mAh battery. In terms of camera, the Y31A features 8MP rear and 2MP front unit. Connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi, GPS, 4G LTE, and FM radio.

Measuring 137.24 x 68.76 x 8.39mm and weighing in at 141g, the phone runs Android 5.0 Lollipop-based Funtouch OS. It is currently available for purchase in China, where carrier China Telecom is selling it for RMB 999 (around $155).

AT&T offers buy one, get one free deal on LG G5 pre-orders

If you have your heart set on LG's latest flagship handset, then you surely know that global sales for the G5 are set to begin a little over a week from now, on March 31. Naturally, however, various retailers have already started accepting pre-orders for the device and the latest to announce its offer is AT&T.

The carrier has listed the G5 for $23 per moth over a 30 month period on a Next 24 plan, or $699 up front. But, if you are planning on getting more than one unit, then AT&T's other deal might just be ideal for you. If you are OK with signing a new AT&T contract, that is activating a new line, you can get the second LG G5 for free. Well, kind of, as the carrier basically promises to reimburse for for $695 in bill credit over the course of 30 months. Mind you, you still owe activation fees and sales taxes on both units.

If this seems like a fair deal, then you can check the source link and expect device shipments to begin between March 29 and March 30. It is also worth noting that Best Buy has a pre-order deal of its own. It is offering $100 savings on the device with purchase and activation of a 2-year contract with Sprint. Alternatively, buyers will get a $100 Best Buy gift card with purchase and activation of monthly installment plan - this promo is also available for the AT&T variant.

In addition, all purchases will come with a free bundle (worth $90) that includes a replacement battery, charging cradle, and USB-C to micro-USB adapter.

HTC 10 said to come with Super LCD 5 display, 3000mAh battery

The HTC 10 has already been the subject of several leaks and renders, with the latest one focusing on the phone's "world class" cameras. Now, the usually reliable leakster @evleaks has revealed some more information about the flagship - Super LCD 5 display and 3,000mAh battery.

Yes, the leakster says the phone will sport a Super LCD 5 display instead of the an AMOLED one. For those who are hearing about Super LCD for the first time, here's what Wikipedia has to say about it:

Super LCD differs from a regular LCD in that it does not have an air gap between the outer glass and the display element. This produces less glare and makes the user feel "closer" to the display itself. Super LCD's benefits also include lower power consumption and improved outdoor visibility.

Aside from the display technology, @evleaks also revealed a 3,000mAh battery for the device, which compares to the 2,840mAh battery its predecessor packed in.

Other rumored specs for the HTC 10 include a 5.1-inch display, SD820 chipset, 4GB RAM, 32GB expandable internal memory, and a USB Type-C port. The handset is expected to be made official sometime next month.

Huawei president allegedly spotted using dual-camera phone; is it the P9?

A photo leak has surfaced allegedly showing Huawei's president using a phone with a dual rear camera setup. While there's no confirmation, reports say it could be the Chinese company's upcoming P9 flagship.

If you compare, the unit shown in the images above does look quite similar to the one that was leaked earlier this month (shown below).

In case you don't already know, the P9 flagship - which has been the subject of several leaks and rumors over the past few weeks - is set to be unveiled on April 6. The first official teaser of the handset was also recently outed, confirming the dual camera setup.

As for the specs, rumors say the P9 is powered by a Kirin 950 chipset and sports a 5.2-inch 1080p screen. It has 3GB RAM and 32GB internal memory. In terms of camera, the phone features a a 5MP front shooter and a 12MP dual rear camera setup with support for OIS. It runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with EMUI, and packs in a 3,000mAh battery.