Verizon's Galaxy S6 and S6 edge are now receiving Marshmallow updates

Around a month and a half ago Samsung started rolling out updates to Android 6.0 Marshmallow for the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge (pictured below), last year's flagship smartphones. And now Verizon has finally caught up and commenced the same rollout for the S6 and S6 edge units it's sold.

The update will make its way out in stages, so it could be quite a few days before it hits every S6 or S6 edge purchased from Verizon. Nevertheless, at least it is now on its way.

If you have one of these devices and haven't received the update notification yet, you can obviously choose to manually check for the availability of the new release by going to Settings > About Device > Software Update. That may or may not help get it faster.

Aside from everything that Google's built into Android 6.0 Marshmallow (things such as Doze Mode for better battery life, the new permissions system, Now On Tap), the Galaxy S6 edge is also getting the same Edge Panel features that have debuted on its successor, the S7 edge. This means you'll have a thicker panel that you can do more with. The March security updates are in too, as you'd expect.

More price hikes for Verizon subscribers with a grandfathered unlimited plan

If you still have a grandfathered unlimited plan with Verizon that you are still hanging onto for dear life, Verizon is sending out another wave of price increases for customers whose plans weren’t affected with Verizon’s price hikes back in November.

Just to reiterate, this price hike will not come to those whose monthly rates were already raised. This price hike is to come to customers whose rate was not affected by the first wave of increases. This time around, Verizon will up the rates of customers whose lines have fulfilled their contract.

I don’t blame Verizon, data is no longer a complimentary feature to cellular service, and it has become a necessity. The main product for sale with carriers has shifted to data. Verizon still says the grandfathered unlimited plan comes at a great value, even with the $20 increase, which will being rolling out on May 15.

Well, yeah, of course it’s a great value, otherwise, Verizon might be losing money with these grandfathered unlimited plans. Now, more than ever do customers need to jump through hoops and be super careful when making any changes to their plans if they want to stay on the grandfathered line. If you are a Verizon customer, all I have to say is: “Good luck”.

Walmart drops iPhone prices by $100, Galaxy S6 and S7 by $150

An intriguing deal is apparently to be had if you want to purchase a new iPhone or Samsung smartphone and you head to Walmart to do the deed. The mega-retailer is said to be offering $100 off iPhones and $150 off two Samsung handsets, starting today and until the end of June.

The Apple handsets that qualify are the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, as well as the new iPhone SE. The Samsung phones in question are the Galaxy S6 and S7. That said, keep in mind that not every store will have the exact same models on offer, but you should find at least some of the aforementioned handsets in any of them.

The catch? Well, you'll need to sign a service agreement with AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint when you purchase the device. The $100 or $150 will then arrive to you in the form of bill credit. Oh, and you need to go to an actual physical Walmart store to take advantage of the offer, since it's not available online.

LG G5 arrives with Friends, we do the unboxing

LG has come up with a very nice G5 reviewer's kit and we just got ours. It's a big colorful box with fancy hinges and a retro fastener. Within the promising looking package we found the retail LG G5, the LG 360 Cam, the LG Cam Plus module, and the LG Hi-Fi Plus with B&O Play.

We already had a very pleasant encounter with the LG G5, but it's just now that we see its retail box and contents. We'll be updating our review with the new test scores early next week.

LG G5 and Friends box

First up among the LG Friends we received, is the LG 360 Cam. It's a standalone camera, which can snap 360 photos and videos. Since it doesn't have a viewfinder of its own, you can watch the result on any phone - Android or iPhone. You can even view them through a VR setup if you have one of those. You can also snap 360-degree selfies by leaving the camera perched somewhere on its own and controlling it remotely with your phone.

LG 360 Cam

The LG Cam Plus module adds a proper camera grip, hardware shutter for stills and video, a zoom dial, and an extra 1,200 mAh worth of battery juice.

LG Cam Plus

Finally, the LG Hi-Fi Plus with B&O PLAY is an external DAC and mobile audio amp, which allows you to playback 32-bit 384kHz Hi-Fi audio or up-sample lower quality music. It has a 3.5mm audio jack, and you can use it not only as an insert for the LG G5 but also as an external USB DAC for any computer or mobile device by attaching it via the supplied short USB cable.

LG Hi-Fi Plus with B&O Play

You bet we'll get down to business with all of those goodies right away. You can wxpect our hands-on impressions next week.

LG G5 torture tests come online, it turns out quite sturdy

LG G5 went on sale just yesterday and it was inevitable for the flagship to pass through various torture tests for the cameras. The G5 got scratched, burnt with a lighter, and then bent for the public to enjoy.

As expected the LG G5 doesn't bend easily as it's actually a chunk of metal, except for the whatever accessory is inserted within the Magic Slot - this will surrender rather easy.

The scratch test revealed the LG G5 is actually covered by a thin layer of plastic. This process of applying small color particles on metal surface is called microdizing and allows for hiding the antenna bands within the paint.

LG actually talked about this - the layer some consider as plastic is actually a rather thick ply of paint, so we think LG hasn't lied about the metal, nor has misled on the microdizing thing - the paint is indeed hiding the antennas.

So, the LG G5 is not that prone to bending, though you can easily bend the bottom because it's detachable. It does endure screen scratches up to a certain point, but the rear is a lot easier to scratch because it's actually paint.

The teardown video reveals the LG G5 is easy to open and repair and shows its true metal nature.

We already published our LG G5 review based on a pre-production unit, but the retail unit has just arrived in our office so you should stay tuned for an update early next week.

Microsoft releases Lumia 650 in the US and Canada

Quite a while after its unveiling back in February, the Microsoft Lumia 650 is now finally available in the US and Canada. This comes after a three-week pre-order period for the new mid-range smartphone.

The Lumia 650 can be yours for $199 or CAD 199, and for that price you'll receive a SIM-free and unlocked unit. You can order from Microsoft's online store here for the US and here for Canada. This handset has already been available in Europe for many weeks, so it's good to finally see it crossing the pond as well.

It comes with a 5-inch 720p touchscreen, an 8 MP rear camera with LED flash, a 5 MP selfie snapper, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 212 chipset running things (with a 1.3 GHz quad-core Cortex-A7 CPU), 1GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, LTE, and a 2,000 mAh battery. It has Windows 10 Mobile on board. To get a better idea of whether it's a worthy buy or not, make sure you go through our detailed review of the phone.

iPhone SE undergoes scratch, burn and bend tests

It's interesting to see how every new smartphone fares against wear and tear and the iPhone SE is no exception. Seasoned phone torturer JerryRigEverything has posted a video of doing some scratch, burn and bend tests to Apple's latest smartphone. It's as interesting as it's painful to watch.

As you can see in the video below, the iPhone SE fails the bend test and arches at the volume rocker. This suggests to the conclusion that Apple hasn't used its premium Aluminum 7000-series and reverted back to the 6000-series. Given the shorter frame of the device that shouldn't be much of an issue with everyday usage though.

In the burn and scratch tests, it fares much better. The front glass scratches similarly to the Galaxy S7 from using equally rigid materials. Keys and softer metals are fine and don't do damage.

HTC 10 Mini running on Snapdragon 823 scheduled for September

The HTC 10 announcement is just around the corner - it is going to happen in 12 days, and we know most of the details already thanks to the numerous leaks throughout the past few months. We guess it's time to move onto the next big thing, which in this case is a little flagship.

Apparently the HTC 10 will be getting a mini flavor - the HTC 10 Mini. As per the leaked memo sent to selected HTC insiders, the HTC 10 Mini will feature a 4.7" display (probably a 1080p unit) and will be powered by the Snapdragon 823 chipset with 4GB of RAM.

The Snapdragon 823 chip is the same as the S820 model, but the quad-core Kryo CPU will run on a higher clock. We already heard of this new SoC two days ago with the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 leak, which reported Xiaomi's next phablet to be powered by the same thing.

Anyway, the HTC 10 Mini should be introduced this September. We'll certainly get a few more leaks until then though.

HTC 10 swings by FCC ahead of announcement

The HTC 10 is now approved by the FCC making the phone that little bit readier for its launch. HTC will officially unveil its upcoming flagship on April 12 in an online events.

An interesting bit revealed by the regulatory is that there are actually two new HTC models - the 2PS6200 and 2PS6500. Unfortunately, there are no photos provided in the documents, as HTC has requested the FCC to withhold public information disclosure. It's also unclear what the differences between the two are, but we are guessing it boils down to network bands support.

HTC 10 : Black/White • White/White • Gold • Black

HTC 10 is expected to have a 5.1" QHD screen of the Super LCD 5 variety (not AMOLED), a Snapdragon 820 chipset with 4GB of RAM and a USB Type-C port. HTC has hinted the 10 will have a "very compelling camera" (12MP UltraPixel say the rumors).

You can expect the HTC 10 to come in a variety of colors including black front with black or silver rear, and a white front with white or gold rear.

Alleged Meizu Pro 6 mini and m3 note leak ahead of announcement

The Meizu Pro 6 and the Meizu m3 note has been popping in our rumor section for quite some time. The Meizu Pro 5 mini was part of the rumors for quite some time, but it got cancelled due to production delays.

Today, we got a new picture revealing the Meizu m3 note and the Pro 6 mini. Check it out:

The Meizu m3 note is supposed to go official on April 6. It should offer a 5.5" 1080p display, Helio X10 chipset with 2 or 3GB RAM (storage dependent), and a 3,200 mAh battery. One of the key upgrades over the m2 note is the new shiny metal chassis, probably following the footsteps of the Meizu m1 metal and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3.

The Pro 6 mini first appeared in a leaked Meizu roadmap, then it should pack a 4.7" 1080p display, and run on the Helio X25 chipset with a deca-core processor. The battery behind this impressive hardware should be a 2,800 mAh unit.

One of these phones beats the Galaxy S7 in 4K video quality

Yesterday we gave you a mystery to solve. Could you guess which phone beats the Samsung Galaxy S7 in 4K video quality? We already gave you a little hint - it's not the LG G5.

If your initial guess included the Alcatel Idol 4s, Motorola Moto X Force, Apple iPhone SE,Acer Liquid Jade Primo or the HTC One M9+ Supreme Camera, then we have good news for you, you're one step closer.

Now is the time to cast your votes - we'll reveal the result later tonight when the review of the phone in question will hit our homepage.

Huawei saw 37% annual revenue growth last year - biggest since 2008

Chinese company Huawei recorded an annual revenue of RMB 395 billion ($61.10 billion) in 2015, which translates into an year-on-year growth of 37%. This is the company's biggest annual revenue growth in the past seven years.

Huawei's net profit for the year stood at RMB 36.9 billion, up 32 percent from the RMB 27.9 billion figure it reported the year prior. The company's handset division played an important role in this with a 44% jump in shipments. In case you don't already know, Huawei became the first smartphone company in China whose shipments crossed the 100 million mark in a year in 2015.

The company's carrier business - which now accounts for around 59% of the company's revenue - also saw a jump of 21.4% last year primarily due to China's adoption of 4G mobile technology.

Huawei's growth is "a direct result of strategic focus and heavy investment in our core businesses," said Guo Ping, one of the CEOs. The company expects its annual revenue to increase to $75 billion this year.