Skype for Web now lets you call phones, watch YouTube videos directly

Skype's Web client has received a neat update today, one which brings with it a couple of new features. First off, you can now call mobile phones as well as landlines straight from Skype's Web interface. This might let you save money compared to your carrier's rates, depending on where you're calling. You obviously need either a Skype calling subscription or some Skype credit in your account in order to make use of this functionality.

Next up, you can watch YouTube videos directly inside Skype for Web from this point on. When someone shares a link to a YouTube video in a Skype conversation, that will instantly embed said video into the page. So no more jumping to a new tab or window to see the video in question. Furthermore, when other URLs are shared in Skype for Web, you'll see an image from the webpage.

You can add new people to a conversation even if they're not on Skype, which is something that debuted in Skype's client for Windows PCs not long ago. Basically you create a unique URL for a conversation, and then share that with the person who doesn't have a Skype account. He or she will then be able to join in.

Finally, notifications are going to show up as long as you're signed into Skype for Web and have it open in your browser, even if you're in another app or another tab.

Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) for AT&T gets pictured in leaked renders

Following in the footsteps of Virgin and Boost Mobile, both of which launched it in January, AT&T is going to be selling Samsung's Galaxy J3 (2016) at some point in the future.

We know this because serial leaker @evleaks has outed the official press renders of the device, complete with AT&T branding on the back. It's unclear if the carrier will offer the phone in more color versions or just this white/black combo.

As you can see, the name on the handset's back is something along the likes of Galaxy J3 6, or J3(6). So it will be interesting to see what AT&T's promotional materials will call it.

The Galaxy J3 has a 5-inch 720p Super AMOLED touchscreen, a 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 CPU, 1.5GB of RAM, and a 2,600 mAh battery. It runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.

The resolution for both cameras, as well as the amount of internal storage have so far depended on market, we'll have to wait and see which combination AT&T will choose. The model sold by both Virgin and Boost has a 5 MP main camera, a 2 MP selfie snapper, and 16GB of expandable storage.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Mini will launch to compete with the iPhone SE, rumor says

Although it was rumored a few times, a Samsung Galaxy S6 Mini never actually became official. So the last S Mini handset to come out of the Korean company was the S5 Mini (which is pictured below). Yet that, like all of its predecessors, was very different from the normal S5, not only in size but also in specs. None of Samsung's S Mini devices have packed the hardware from their bigger siblings, in fact, in stark contrast to what Sony's been doing with its Z Compact line.

That might all change with the newly-rumored Galaxy S7 Mini. According to a report from Taiwan, Samsung will introduce this smartphone as a response to Apple's upcoming 4-inchiPhone SE, which will be unveiled on March 21. And it will allegedly be the first Samsung Mini to come with high-end specs.

The handset is said to sport a 4.6-inch 720p touchscreen, the Snapdragon 820 or Exynos 8890 chipset, 3GB of RAM, a 12 MP main camera, and 9.9 mm thickness. There's some mention of a "periscope lens" with 3x optical zoom, but we assume that's going to be an accessory sold separately.

This is all just speculation right now, so don't think too much of it just yet. If Samsung really is working on a Galaxy S7 Mini, then expect to hear a lot more about it in the coming weeks.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 bill of materials calculated at $255

The parts of the Galaxy S7 cost Samsung $255, according to the latest report of market analyst company IHS. This is $1 less than the bill-of-materials of the Galaxy S5 from two years ago.

IHS reports the most expensive bit of the Galaxy S7 to be the Snapdragon 820 chipset from Qualcomm at an estimated cost of $62. This is the phone's chipset in the US, while the international version comes with the company's own Exynos 8890 Octa.

The 12MP camera with Dual Pixel tech costs nearly $14, while the overall asembly of the device comes at $5. Mind you, the bill of materials doesn't include cost of software development, marketing, distribution or R&D.

As iFixit found out, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge are hard to repair and got a score of 3/10. In comparison, the Galaxy S6 had a score of 4/10, the S5 scored 5/10, and the hyper-glazed Galaxy S4 scored 8/10 as pretty easily repairable.

ASP of Sony Xperias rises, the company makes the most per phone of any Android maker

Sony's mobile division seems to be struggling, but actually numbers show that the company makes the most profit per phone sold aside from Apple.

In Q4 last year, LG lost money on phones while Sony made a small profit. Looking at the Average Selling Price (ASP) for Xperias was double that of LG phones and the gap has been widening in recent quarters.

ASP is a mix of product lineup and which devices actually sell. Apple's ASP is the highest, but the company doesn't have mid-range offerings (just old models still on sale), let alone entry-level ones. Sony's ASP is halfway between Apple and the next in line, HTC. If you look at theSony product page, you'll see a lot of Z, M and C phones, but we haven't had an entry-level Xperia E in over a year.+

The company's transition to the premium market seems to have an effect - it makes an estimated average of $26 on each phone sold, up from Samsung's $23. Apple is in the stratosphere with $184, while the other big players are losing money, LG hovering just below the break-even point.

These charts also reveal inefficiencies. HTC has a higher ASP than Samsung (by $12), but their per phone profits are separated by a vast $61 gap. Fixed costs are to blame - regardless of how many phones you actually ship (and at what price), there are costs that remain the same (e.g. designing a new model costs the same whether you sell 1 or 1,000,000 units).

Samsung owns a lot of the manufacturing chain so it can combat its falling ASP with higher sales and stay in the black. Sony, meanwhile, is the only Android maker with an ASP that has been rising consistently. Apple's ASP is an almost straight line at $700.

It's also interesting to see how consumer allegiances change. HTC is bleeding consumers to all other makers, many jumping over to Samsung. Samsung itself is losing buyers to Huawei,BQ (really?) and Motorola.

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.