Beta Marshmallow build of OxygenOS for OnePlus 2 is now accessible to all, not OTA though

A couple of weeks ago OnePlus started soak testing its update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow for the OnePlus 2 with a few users to check for bugs and whatnot. That test was not an open one, but things have changed now.

Starting today you too can download and try a beta build of Marshmallow for the OnePlus 2, namely OxygenOS 3.0. You do need to manually flash it though, because it's not available as an over-the-air update. That's because the Chinese company wants to make sure all possible kinks have been ironed out by the time the OTA rollout starts. The good news is that this build will receive OTA updates, so when the final Marshmallow build hits the OnePlus 2 you'll get it too even if you've decided to test the beta.

You can find the download page for the test build over here. The new software comes with all the goodies that Google packed into the Marshmallow release, of course, but also a new OnePlus Camera UI, a new wallpaper picker, better Shelf UX, general performance improvements, faster fingerprint scans, improved Settings menu readability, as well as the March security patches. Full flashing instructions can be found at the Source link below.

ZTE A2017 visits AnTuTu as well, could be the next Axon model

The Huawei P9 and iPhone SE aren't the only smartphones that have been revealed to have been put through the paces of the AnTuTu benchmark today. The ZTE A2017 joins them, and this might just be the Chinese company's next Axon-branded handset.

Earlier this month the A2017 was spotted in the GFXBench database sporting a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset and 4GB of RAM. Now those specs have been confirmed by AnTuTu's info screen, along with other hardware details.

The ZTE A2017 has a QHD touchscreen (which GFXBench pegged at 5.5"), a 20 MP rear camera, an 8 MP selfie shooter, 64GB of storage, and it runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow.

The phone has managed to score an impressive 140,086 points in AnTuTu, which is more than the Xiaomi Mi 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S7. That's quite impressive, so ZTE's next flagship device will definitely be no slouch.

MIUI Global Beta ROM based on Marshmallow now available

A few days ago the stable release of the MIUI ROM based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow was released for the Xiaomi Mi 3, Mi 4, and Mi Note in China.

As of today, the stable Marshmallow-based MIUI 6.3.17 is available in Global Beta and can be installed on the Xiaomi Mi 3, Mi 4, and Mi Note outside China.

Being a global ROM means the devices outside China can use Google Play Services and Play Store.

Xiaomi Mi 5 was the device to introduce the Android Marshmallow with MIUI 7, but Xiaomi seems to be working hard on bringing the update to as many devices as possible.

If you have an international Mi 3, Mi 4, or Mi Note, then you can follow the source link below for download and installation instructions.

Apple iPhone SE enters AnTuTu, matches the iPhone 6s Plus score

Apple iPhone SE is pretty much an iPhone 6s within a smaller chassis. It runs on the same Apple A9 chip with 2GB of RAM, has the same 12MP rear camera, but a smaller and lower-resolution screen.

The iPhone SE has passed the AnTuTu 6 benchmark already, and you can check it out how it stacks against its stablemates.

Obviously, the iPhone SE offers stellar performance. We expected nothing less since it has one of the fastest chipsets on the market and the lowest resolution screen (1136x640 pixels) to power.

The iPhone SE begins shipping tomorrow in many markets worldwide. We'll be grabbing one for a proper review, so stay tuned.

Huawei P9 stops by AnTuTu with Kirin 955, scores short of 100K

There's now only a week until the Huawei P9's official launch, scheduled for April 6. Can't hurt if we get to know a few more bits in advance though, this time courtesy of AnTuTu. The benchmark maker has listed the upcoming Huawei flagship, complete with specs and test results

Huawei P9 on AnTuTu (click for full size)

The concise specsheet names just the basics, among them a Kirin 955 chipset with Mali-T880 MP4 GPU, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Display resolution is quoted to be FullHD, and previous info points to a 5.2-inch diagonal.

As you probably know, the P9 will have a dual-camera setup on the back. You may think that the "8MP + 13MP" entry in the camera field indicates the resolutions of those two cameras, but no - that's AnTuTu's customary way of specifying front and rear cameras.

We're also given a glimpse into the P9's performance. The 96,043 score is nothing spectacular in today's world where the Samsung Galaxy S7 and LG G5 go upwards of 130K. It is, nonetheless, an improvement over the regular Kirin 950 inside the existing Huawei Mate 8.

Oppo says the F1 Plus is identical to the recently-announced R9

We have been hearing a lot about the Oppo F1 Plus lately and most fans have come to expect it as the next iteration of the Oppo F1 "selfie expert", with hints of an even better front camera experience and a fingerprint reader. This all sounded exciting, but today Oppo brought an end to that, clarifying that the F1 Plus won't be a new model, but merely the Oppo R9 for international markets.

That definitely clears the air and puts to rest the various rumors about the handset. As per the recent China announcement of the R9 and R9 Plus, the F1 Plus should be equipped with a 5.5-inch, FullHD AMOLED display, fitted inside a shell measuring 151.8 x 74.3 x 6.6m, with a minimal bezel size of 1.66mm. The rest of the specs sheet includes a Mediatek Helio P10 chipset with four of its Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 2.0GHz, and the other four at 1.0GHz, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

The camera department offers an interesting twist that might just be worthy of carrying on the "selfie expert" title. The R9 and presumably the F1 Plus as well, actually has a higher resolution front-facing camera than the rear one. Selfies are taken care of by a 16MP imager mated with an f/2.0 lens with a 78.1-degree field of view. On the back you have a 13MP sensor behind a 5-element lens with f/2.2 aperture and 80.6-degree FoV.

The rebranded Oppo F1 should come to Malaysia on April 7. So, with that clarification on Oppo's lineup there is only one logical question remaining - what happens with the R9 Plus, which is now also official in China? Currently, Oppo has shown no indication that it intends to release the 6-inch phablet internationally as well, but we will be sure to keep an eye out for any developments.

HTC 10 shows its face again, black version pictured

HTC 10 is going official on April 12 but we know pretty much everything there is to know about company's next big thing. We know the design is a hybrid between the One M9 and One A9, we know about its Quad HD AMOLED screen and Snapdragon 820 chip, the possibility of a Snapdragon 652 model, its rumored retail price at €740, even the reported April 15 as a lunch date.

HTC has begun a marketing campaign with teasers over the social networks, but the leaks are quite more revealing than HTC's hints.

Today's leak show the black flavor of the HTC 10 shot next to its silver sibling. We've seen its metal chassis leak already in detail, though, and this gloomy shot only shows yet another view of the black version

Fingers crossed HTC did manage to keep something from leaking and will surprise us on April 12.

Xiaomi Mi Note 2 to come with Snapdragon 823, possible 3D touch

The Xiaomi Mi Note 2 is due for a replacement and we're expecting it in the coming months. Rumors of it kicked off a few weeks ago stating that it may have a dual-edge display, but today we have some more concrete info on the specs of the Mi Note successor.

Xiaomi Mi Note (the first one)

Starting with that supposedly curved display, the source says that it will be 5.7 inches in diagonal like the previous model. Resolution will be QHD, and a 3D touch pressure sensitive capability is being considered.

The Mi Note 2 will be powered by either a Snapdragon 820 or an 823 chipset (higher clock rates?). RAM will be 4GB or even 6GB, and storage options will include 32/64/128GB, with a possible 256GB variant too. The camera will feature the 16MP Sony IMX298 sensor, complete with OIS. Powering things will be a 3,600mAh battery, with some form of fast charging allowing the charger to supply up to 18watts.

Mightily impressive specs there, and most of them seem pretty plausible. That said, you'd best hold off until everything's official before getting overly excited.

Google’s VR View will embed VR content into apps and websites

Thanks to Google, there is now going to be a web viewer for VR which can be integrated right into a website along with apps for Android and iOS. The new HTML and JavaScript code is up on Github for you to start embedding your vacation 360 images right away.

I've embedded a sample VR View of the coral reefs just above this text. You'll need to be using the latest versions of Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Safari all for desktop, iOS 8 and above, or KitKat 4.4 and above for mobile.

The desktop viewer is a simple image viewer which can go fullscreen and allows the users to click and drag around a VR image just like you would click and drag with Google Maps’ Street View. Google is also announcing its first native Cardboard SDK for iOS.

Google providing these source codes for developers is a step toward a larger adoption of VR viewers and VR-enabled content embedded within webpages and incorporated into more iOS and Android apps.

HoloLens developer kits are shipping to devs today

HoloLens is Microsoft’s foot in the door for incorporating virtual reality into the world of every day computing. With that said, today’s Microsoft event brought more information about the HoloLens and what it could mean for developers.

Microsoft has mentioned at today’s event that it is now shipping these HoloLens developer kits to those development teams who have signed up and pre-ordered the $3K dev kit to those who fit Microsoft’s qualifications. The following companies have shown interest in HoloLens for developers.

Microsoft has also announced that it has released its first full HoloLens application called Galaxy Explorer on the Microsoft Store and on Github where the source code in its entirety will be available for developers all over the world to tinker with or incorporate into their own HoloLens projects.

Keeping developers in the loop is among the most important things that should occur with introducing a brand new platform since if there is no developer community backing up the platform, the interest of consumers can be too low and the product’s platform could flop.

HoloLens is a new way to experience Windows in virtual reality, you will be able to interact with virtual elements in a real environment with your hands by using gestures. We hope the consumer models will be available soon, as there is still no information regarding a public launch.

Samsung tablets will be used in the Portuguese football league for match reports

Mobile devices and sports generally mix quite well, especially when we're talking about sponsorship deals signed by phone and tablet makers with various clubs or national teams. Samsung has however decided to go one step further in Portugal.

Samsung tablets will be used in the Portuguese football league to compile and file official match reports. These will be used by the staff of the Portuguese Professional Football League (LPFP), making their jobs much easier through a dedicated app installed on the tablets.

Previously, such forms had to be filled out by hand and then faxed over to the league's official board. This means the reports reached their targets long after matches ended. From this point on though everything is transmitted electronically, after Samsung has helped LPFP digitize its operations.

According to LPFP President Pedro Proença, "this application is a technological leap that helps us to provide better service to all clubs and all their fans. It is a truly innovative system that sets us apart from what we did in the past".

Windows 10 Anniversary Update announced, will be out in the summer for free

At its Build conference today Microsoft has officially announced the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. This will be the first major update for the company's latest operating system version, and so far it's been known only by its codename - Redstone.

The Windows 10 Anniversary Update will roll out sometime this summer, and it will be free for everyone running Windows 10.

It will bring with it support for Windows Hello biometric ID in more apps, including the Edge browser - so you'll be able to sign into websites with your fingerprint. The Linux command line shell will be in too, alongside a smarter Cortana (who you can tell to send files to colleagues, for example), and a unified Windows 10 and Xbox app store.

Perhaps the biggest new feature in the update is the addition of the Windows Ink system. This is all about taking stylus support up a notch. So you'll be able to do things like jot down something along the lines of "Call Joe at 9 pm" on sticky notes, and Cortana will automatically recognize that as a reminder. Windows Ink will work with both a pen and your finger, and you can even use both at the same time. Microsoft apps such as Office will obviously support Ink, as will Adobe's apps. And the platform is open for integration into other apps too.