LG G5 up for pre-order at Carphone Warehouse in the UK, arrives by April 1

UK retailer Carphone Warehouse has the LG G5 listed for pre-order with a SIM-free price quoted at £499.99. Amazon kicked off its G5 pre-orders a few days ago at £529, but is now down to the same £499.99.

Clove was first to list this year's LG flagship close to a month ago, and price there is now set at £529.99 (previously £539), but you're getting a pair of B&O in-ear headphones. Not the B&O add-on DAC though.

A few things make CW's offer more appealing than the others, and chief among those is the delivery date, April 1, which rings well with the annouced global launch on March 31. Amazon will join the party a week later on April 8, and Clove says first week of April, which can mean anything. Additionally, the Silver paint job will be exclusive to Carphone Warehouse.

LG G5's SD652 variant is now official

Less than a month after an LG executive confirmed the existence of a Snapdragon 652-powered G5, the device has been made official - the variant is now listed on the South Korean company's Panama website. The device carries a model number of H850, which if you recall was also spotted on GFXBench last month.

Standard Qualcomm's SD652, as you might know, is an octa-core CPU with four 1.4GHz ARM Cortex-A53 cores and four ARM Cortex-A72 cores with a maximum of 1.8GHz. However, the LG Panama listing of the G5 reveals a 2.0 GHz octa-core processor.

Also, the variant is available in both 3GB/32GB and 4GB/32GB configurations. Rest of the specs are similar to the SD820-powered G5 - 5.3" QHD display, 16MP/8MP camera combo, 2,800mAh battery, and Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

In case you don't know, Latin Americans won't officially get the standard SD820 G5 - only the SD652 variant will be available there.

ZTE A2017 spotted on GFXBench with SD820 SoC, QHD display

A new high-end smartphone from ZTE has been spotted on GFXBench. The listing reveals that the device - dubbed ZTE A2017 - is powered by a Snapdragon 820 SoC, and sports a 5.5-inch (1440 x 2560 pixel resolution) display.

It has 4GB RAM, while internal memory should be 64GB. In terms of camera, the handset sports a 21MP rear unit and an 8MP front shooter. The phone comes with Android Marshmallow (version 6.0.1) out-of-the-box. Connectivity options include Bluetooth, GPS, NFC, and WiFi.

There is currently no information on when the device will be officially unveiled and what will be its final name. Also not known is its price as well as if and when it will be available in the United States.

Alcatel Idol 4 to reportedly have a Mini variant as well

While the rumor mill is already abuzz with a Pro variant of the yet-to-be-released Alcatel Idol 4, a new report is claiming that that the latter will have a Mini variant as well. Unlike the Windows 10-powered Pro version, however, the Mini variant is said to be powered by Android.

As for the specs, the report says that the Idol 4 Mini will be powered by either a Mediatek MT6738 SoC or a MT6750 chipset, and sport a 5-inch HD display. As for the memory configuration, there will be different options: 1GB/2GB/3GB for RAM and 8GB/16GB/32GB for internal memory.

In terms of camera, the the Mini variant will feature a 13MP rear unit and a 5MP front shooter. The phone will pack in a 2,400mAh battery and as already mentioned, will run Android OS. There will also be a fingerprint scanner embedded on the home button.

US Cellular LG G5 to be available starting April 1; pre-orders begin March 28

Turns out the rumors were true as US Cellular has announced that it will begin selling the LG G5 on April 1, with pre-orders beginning March 28. Those purchasing the handset from the carrier before April 17 will also get a free extra battery and battery-charging cradle.

The carrier also said that some of the device's friends (accessories) - including the LG Cam Plus, LG 360 Cam and the LG 360 VR - will be available in mid-April.

As for the price, the US Cellular LG G5 will cost $199.99 with a regular, two-year contract. Alternatively, the handset can be yours for zero down followed by 24 monthly payments of $26.50. "In addition, if a current customer refers a friend to U.S. Cellular, and the friend chooses to activate a smartphone on a Shared Connect plan, they both will receive $50," the company said in a press release.

B&H Photo lists unlocked US variant of LG G5 going up for sale on April 1

B&H is a huge online retailer running straight out of Manhattan, their brick and mortar store is like Disneyland for tech enthusiasts including myself.

Anyway, the retailer has posted both the silver and titan colored LG G5 on its site with an availability date of April 1st. If this turns out to be an April fool’s joke (which I really don’t think it will) it really wouldn’t be a good one.

The site lists the LG G5 as unlocked and identifies the unit as a North American variant. Strangely the description says the unit is compatible with CDMA or GSM networks, but does not list Sprint or Verizon in the list of compatible US networks. Perhaps they aren’t CDMA compatible, or they are CDMA compatible but managed to miss the two largest CDMA networks in the list.

The listing also shows the model number as LGRS988.AUSASV, though this number doesn’t really correspond with the other models H840 or H850. We’ve reached out to B&H to find out if the phone is indeed compatible on Sprint or Verizon networks in the US.

The LG G5 features a Snapdragon 820 processor paired with 4GB of RAM, a 5.3 inch, QHD IPS LCD display, 32GB of internal storage with optional expandable memory, as well as a 2,800mAh removable battery. Of course LG also has its own modular accessories or “Friends” specially made for the LG G5.

Verizon's Nokia Lumia Icon is being considered for Windows 10 Mobile update

Yesterday Microsoft finally commenced the rollout of updates to Windows 10 Mobile for older Lumia branded smartphones, after many months of testing through the Windows Insider program. On that occasion, the company released the list of handsets that are going to be receiving the update, but did not at the time clarify whether the list was final or not.

In the meantime, the company's representatives have said that, essentially, no more phones will be added to the list in the future. And yet there could be an exception after all: Verizon's Nokia Lumia Icon from 2014.

This one is "still under consideration" for the update, according to Gabriel Aul, the guy in charge of the Windows Insider program, who was responding to a question on the matter.

That unfortunately doesn't give us any idea of when the rollout for the Icon would start, if it ever is going to be blessed with the Windows 10 Mobile update. But if you own one of these handsets, perhaps it would be wise not to lose all hope just yet. On the other hand, if you have a Lumia with 512MB of RAM, it's time to give up - the official update to Windows 10 Mobile will never reach your device.

9.7-inch iPad Pro will start at $599, rumor says

For many weeks now Apple has been rumored to introduce a new 9.7-inch iPad at its spring event which is taking place on March 21 (this coming Monday). Recently we've heard that it won't be called iPad Air 3, but will instead go with iPad Pro branding just like the 12.9-inch tablet which is already available.

That makes sense considering that most of its rumored specs are effectively 'borrowed' from its bigger sibling, so why not ape the name as well? Anyway, today a new rumor claims to shed light on the 9.7" iPad Pro's pricing.

It will start at $599, which is $100 more than the base model iPad Air 2. However, there is a caveat here. Whereas the $499 iPad Air 2 comes with Wi-Fi and 16GB of storage, the $599 iPad Pro will get 32GB of space. On the other hand, for $599 you can now buy an iPad Air 2 with 64GB. So while an exact 1:1 price comparison isn't possible, it's safe to say that the cheapest 9.7" iPad Pro will be more expensive than the entry-level Air 2 and will offer less storage than the identically priced device from 2014.

The new iPad Pro will also get an iteration with 128GB of space, as well as LTE connectivity. Interestingly, the unnamed sources behind this info say the iPad Air 2 will remain on sale even after the 9.7-inch iPad Pro becomes official. However the original iPad Air, which is still up for grabs right now, will probably be discontinued.

The new, smaller iPad Pro will come with four speakers, a brighter display that supports the Apple Pencil stylus, a Smart Connector for a new Smart Keyboard accessory, and the A9X chipset. The main camera will apparently be a 12 MP unit with 4K video recording support, and maybe even a LED flash.

Microsoft's last month's $150-discount deal on Surface 3 is back

If you recall, last month, Microsoft was offering a discount of up to $150 on its Surface 3 tablet. In case you missed that deal, here is some good news: the same promo is back again.

The maximum discount of $150 is available on Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + LTE models with 4GB/128GB memory configuration. This means that you can currently purchase these models for $449 and $549, respectively. On the other hand, the variants with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage have received $100 price cut, and can be purchased for $399 and $499, respectively.

Although the deal is valid through April 2, those making a purchase this month will also get $30 off a Surface 3 Docking Station, which usually costs $199.99.

Sony Xperia Z5 Compact gets $100 price cut in US

Sony's Xperia Z5 Compact has received a price cut in the United States, where Amazon is now selling the device for $399.99, down $100 from its usual price of $499.99. Both black and white color options are available at the discounted rate.

The model on offer comes with a US warranty, but is only compatible with GSM carriers such as AT&T and T-Mobile. This means that if you are on a CDMA carrier's network, you are currently out of luck. Aside from Amazon, Best Buy is also offering the same discount, but only on the black colored variant.

The discount comes over a month after the Xperia Z5 Compact received a $50 price cut on Amazon. In case you missed, the device recently started receiving its Android 6.0 Marshmallow update.

Spigen Super5tar program puts a case in your hands in exchange for an honest review

Spigen is a phone maker based out of the US and they have started a new initiative in order to get customer feedback as quickly as possible. The program is called Super5tar Review Program and what it means is that anyone can sign up to be a member for free and if approved, you could be selected to review a Spigen case of your choice.

Right now, they are offering cases for the iPhone 6(S), Galaxy S6 (edge and edge+ too), Galaxy Note 3, Note 4, and Note 5, as well as some screen protectors for the Galaxy S7(edge), LG G5, and iPhones 5S/5C/5.

Strangely, you even have the option of choosing from many models of cases for the iPhone SE. Actually, the entire first page of cases are all for the unannounced iPhone.

Here’s how it works, head over to Spigen’s Super5tar Review Program page and select a case that you’d like to review. Next, fill out the form with your email, birthdate, name, country of residence, and you’ll also need to provide your Amazon account profile link.

To find your Amazon profile link:

• Log into your Amazon account
• Click on “Your Account” (Where you would check for your recent orders)
• Under “Personalization” click on “Your Public Profile”
• Copy the link in your browser’s address bar and paste it back into Spigen’s form
• Your Profile link should look like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Then, if your application is approved, you will be sent the case you chose at signup and you’ll be expected to write an honest review on the cases’ respective Amazon product page. Of course, you must be over 18 years of age to participate in the review program and you must also agree to a possible minimum processing fee in order to get your case.

The page says approval is based on your Amazon Review Profile, country of residence, and validity of the email address provided. New products will rotate periodically so be sure to check back to the program page every once in a while.

Google Maps lets you label your favorite places with cute stickers

Google maps is introducing a new feature, not particularly useful, but more for those who wish to personalize their Google Maps experience as they wish. Google introduces these location stickers which let you tag your favorite and most commonly visited locations with different stickers like a tree house, an apartment building, a teepee, or even a castle. There is another selection of stickers for your work location such as an office building, a boutique, a gym or a school.

Google’s intention is to let people label their favorite places that they visit regularly in order to quickly tap on the location’s sticker, then check the bus or train routes, traffic, or (just introduced this month) car service fares. Google also says you will receive notifications showing you the best way to get to your potential next destination.

Not that Google hasn’t been doing this already, Google has been able to predict where you might be heading on a weekday night or whenever I had class at the University, Google would always be a step ahead and warned me about any traffic jams before heading out.

While you COULD already do this with stars, a bunch of stars on a map becomes boring after a while, stickers let you easily spot a favorite location in you maps app. Of course, make sure you are signed into your Gmail account in order to choose your stickers.