Google Keyboard 5.0 update brings lots of new features

Google has released v5.0 of the Google Keyboard, and this is a big one.

The UI gets lots of little changes. You can now enable borders for keys so it doesn't look like one plain surface. Google dropped the old Holo themes and the light and dark Material Design themes are the only ones available.

Google moved the emoji button inside the special character menu. There is also a new numpad button there now, which shows the numbers arranged in a traditional layout but the old row of numbers is also available. There is also a one handed mode now, which shifts the keys to either side to make it easier to reach all the keys while using the phone with one hand. Lastly, the keyboard height can also be adjusted now.

There are some new gestures as well. Like on SwiftKey, you can now swipe left from the backspace key to delete entire words. You can also swipe left or right on the space key to move the cursor in the respective direction.

The update will roll out slowly on the Play Store but you can download the APK from the link below.

Update brings camera and WiFi-related improvements to HTC 10

HTC's newest flagship - the HTC 10 - is yet to go on sale but that hasn't stopped the Taiwanese company to roll out an update to the device. Weighing in at around 85MB, the update is currently hitting the handset's European units.

As for what all it includes, the change-log notes that there are some improvements related to the phone's camera as well as WiFi connectivity. In addition, the update - which bumps the software version to 1.30.401.1 - also brings along some general bug fixes.

Here's the complete change-log:

- Improved WiFi connectivity, including Smart MIMO

- Camera: Auto HDR improvements (from 1.88 to 1.67EV)

- Camera: Low light sharpness/brightness improvements

- Camera: Outdoor sharpness improvements

- Camera: Reduced purple noise in Pro mode

- Camera: Modified laser autofocus UI

- Bug fixes

To refresh, from what is known so far, the HTC 10 is set to launch in the UK on May 6, and pre-ordered units in the US will also start shipping sometime this week.

Samsung Galaxy Note 6 will have USB Type-C connector, rumor says

At this point Samsung is just a few months away from unveiling the Galaxy Note 6, so understandably the number of rumors regarding it is starting to rise.

The latest mumbling says in no uncertain terms that the successor to the Note5 will have a USB Type-C port, which will thus make its first ever appearance in the Korean company's portfolio. It will replace the ever-prevalent microUSB connector. What isn't as clear is which standard Samsung will use alongside the port itself - USB 3.1 or an older one.

Anyway, if Samsung wants to continue its VR push (and there's no reason not to), then it will also have to release a new Gear VR headset alongside the Note 6. That's because thecurrent Gear VR connects to your Samsung phone via microUSB. The new Type-C connector in the Note 6 will therefore require an updated headset.

So far we've heard that the Galaxy Note 6 will have a 5.8-inch QHD Super AMOLED touchscreen (which might be curved), 6GB of RAM, Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon 823SoC running things, the 12 MP rear camera from the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge (though improved somewhat), and a 4,000 mAh battery. It will be water and dust resistant.

Benchmark listing reveals quad-core processor and Marshmallow OS for Samsung Galaxy J2 (2016)

A Samsung phone carrying model number SM-J210F has been spotted on GeekBench, revealing some of its key specs. As per the listing, the device - which is probably to be the next-gen Galaxy J2 - is powered by Spreadtrum SC8830 SoC with quad-core 1.5 GHz processor.

Other specs that were revealed include 1.5GB RAM and Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. If you recall, the Galaxy J2 (2016) was also spotted on India's import/export website Zauba a couple of months ago, revealing a price-tag broadly similar to its predecessor.

There's still no information on the availability front.

Pre-ordered HTC 10 units will start shipping this week

Verizon might have some kind of short-term exclusivity on HTC's newest flagship - the HTC 10 - for the US carrier market, but it looks like that's not affecting those who pre-ordered the unlocked version of the device directly from the Taiwanese company.

Replying to a user query on Twitter, HTC's Senior Global Online Communications Manager Jeff Gordon revealed that unlocked HTC 10 units will begin shipping in the US in the first week of May.

In case you missed it, Verizon branded units will start shipping May 5, while Sprint will launch the phone on May 13. T-Mobile, which unboxed the handset at no less than 10,000 feet, is yet to provide a launch date. Those waiting for AT&T branded HTC 10 are, however, currently out of luck as HTC has already confirmed that the carrier won't be selling the phone.

Marshmallow for Telus branded Priv units will begin rolling out tomorrow

When BlackBerry announced the availability of Priv Marshmallow update last week, the company said that select carriers will offer the upgrade starting May 3. Inline with that, Canadian carrier Telus has confirmed that Priv units on its network will get the update starting tomorrow.

As usual, the announcement came in the form of a revision to the software update schedule on Telus' official website. The entry for Priv in the schedule also reveals that the update will bring along a security patch.

Another thing worth mentioning here is that the Marshmallow roll-out for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has been pushed by a week - earlier the update was expected on May 16, but now it says May 23.

Report reveals OnePlus 3 pricing, two RAM variants

If you recall, after GeekBench and GFXBench benchmarks revealed two different variants of the upcoming OnePlus 3 smartphone (one with 4GB RAM and other with 6GB), we said that it's entirely possible that the company is readying two different OP3 models.

While there has been no official word from the company on this, a new report out of China - which cites revelations made by a OnePlus employee - says the device will indeed come in the two aforementioned RAM versions. Both will be powered by the same SD820 SoC, though, and will come with 32GB and 64GB internal memory, respectively.

Another major revelation is related to pricing, with the report noting that the handset will carry a tag of RMB 1,999, which translates into around $310 at current exchange rates.

Interestingly, at $310, the OP3 will be cheaper than its predecessor OnePlus 2, which was launched at $329. While it wasn't revealed which OP3 variant will carry the $310 tag, it'd be reasonable to assume we're taking about the 4GB/32GB model here.

Keep in mind that nothing has been officially confirmed yet, although the wait shouldn't be long now as the device is said to be unveiled this month, likely either on May 18 or May 28.

ZTE Axon 2 spotted listed on online retailer's website with $599 price tag

After receiving approval from Chinese telecommunication authority TENAA, ZTE's upcomingAxon 2 smartphone has now been spotted listed on online retailer OppoMart's website, revealing almost all of its key specs, and more importantly, an expected price tag.

This isn't the first time Axon 2's specs have been revealed - the device's TENAA listing already gave us a good idea about what all the phone packs in: SD820 SoC, 5.5-inch QHD display, 4GB/64GB memory configuration, 20MP/8MP camera combo, as well as a fingerprint scanner.

However, what's new here is that the listing on OppoMart also has a price tag attached to it, and it says $599. Of course, nothing is confirmed as the device is yet to be officially unveiled. So take it, especially the price, with a grain of salt.

HTC 10's UK launch apparently set for May 6

If you're in the UK, and are planning to purchase HTC's brand new smartphone dubbed 10, here's an important piece of news for you: the device looks all set to be launched in the country this week - May 6 to be precise.

As you might already know, the HTC 10 is currently up for pre-order in the UK, and if you recall, the device's operator partner Three has already said that the pre-ordered units will be delivered on May 6. Now, the Amazon listing for the phone also says that the handset will be released on May 6.

So, apparently, it's all but official that the latest HTC flagship will be launched in the UK this Friday. In case you don't already know, for its part, HTC has only revealed an "early May" launch time-frame.

ZUK Z1 will be powered by Cyanogen OS in India, Lenovo confirms

Lenovo has confirmed that the ZUK Z1, which is set to launched in India soon, will come with Cyanogen OS out-of-the-box in the country. The confirmation came from Anuj Sharma, head of the company's Product Marketing division.

Given that the device already made its international debut with Cyanogen, this shouldn't exactly come as a surprise. However, it's an important development as far as Indian smartphone market is concerned.

In India, Micromax's sub-brand Yu Televentures has had an exclusive deal with Cyanogen since 2014 as part of which the former has been launching Cyanogen OS-powered phones all this while. However, with this latest confirmation from Leovo, it seems the the Yu-Cyanogen deal has come to an end.

"It [the deal] was there before that's what I was told by Cyanogen team. But the team now said its ok now. So we are going ahead with the launch," Sharma said when asked about the deal. He also revealed that the 64GB variant of the Z1 will be launched in India. The device will run Android 5.1 Lollipop-based Cyanogen OS 12.1 at launch.

In case you missed, there are also rumors that the handset will shed the ZUK branding for its India launch, and will instead be called Lenovo Z1.

The Rock made an alarm clock app for your phone

Why wake up to your phone making beeping sounds every morning, when you can wake up to The Rock actually saying "beep beep" instead?

Yeah, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has made an alarm clock app called The Rock Clock, and it's a bit odd (or fun, depending upon how you see it).

The app is goal oriented, so you can type the name of the project you need to perform or choose from one of the preset options such as 'gain five pounds of muscle', 'lose ten pounds of non-muscle', 'learn a new language', etc. Then you can choose an end date for the project or skip it. After that you set the wake up timer and the best part of the app, 25 custom ring tones, many of which feature The Rock's voice, singing a song, or simply saying "beep beep" as mentioned before. There is even one with his dog Hobbs barking.

The last step is choosing to wake up the same time as The Rock himself. This is usually some absurd time like 4 o'clock in the morning but you can choose to keep your own time. And after that you're done. On iOS you will need to keep the app open and the phone plugged in so it can play the sound and won't get shut down by the OS.

The app is completely free and if you need to try something different it available on both iOS and Android.

iOS • Android

Deal: Unlocked BlackBerry Priv for $380 on eBay

BlackBerry was in a hole that it kept digging deeper and deeper for itself. Finally theBlackBerry Priv was its final hope. BlackBerry found it harder and harder to stay relevant in a market oversaturated with Apple and Android smartphones and lack of app support drove customers away from the platform. So BlackBerry (formerly known as Research In Motion) decided if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. And that’s just what it did with the BlackBerry Priv, the first BlackBerry phone to run Google’s Android operating system.

The BlackBerry Priv received a lot of attention for putting Android on its phone, but the initial price point set at launch was set a bit too high for its own good. It’s been about half a year since the release of the BlackBerry Priv and currently it is going for sale on eBay for $380.

This listing is for a 32GB AT&T unlocked variant so you may use it on T-Mobile or any other GSM network worldwide (assuming the correct bands are compatible, of course). The BlackBerry Priv sports a 5.4 inch AMOLED QHD screen powered by a Snapdragon 808, 3GB of RAM, an 18MP rear camera, and a 3,410mAh battery. And of course, you also get BlackBerry’s legendary physical keyboard which can be accessed by just sliding the screen up. The BlackBerry Priv received the Marshmallow update not very long ago as well.

We aren’t sure how long this will last but go and get one before they run out!