Poll results: iPhone SE gets a cold reception

We hadn't had that in a while. Recent Hot-or-not polls have invariably ended with a stamp of approval, but not so with the latest iPhone SE.

Apple's super mini (which, at 4 inches in diagonal, was ironically the size common sense dictated a few years ago) only managed to entice 42% of our readership, and naysayers were 3 out of 5 people.

Then again the iPhone SE doesn't need to be loved by all, just by those who want a compact phone that can be used comfortably with a single hand. And that the SE delivers.

Not only that, but the iPhone SE packs most of the hardware of the current Apple flagship iPhone 6s. Do show us a 4-inch Android smartphone with the chipset the maker uses in its regular-sized top-end model.

Report says Samsung will start selling foldable smartphones in 2017

We already know that Samsung is working on a foldable phone (internally dubbed Project Valley), and we've also seen some possible designs. Last we heard, there were rumors of it launching in January this year - that obviously didn't happen. Now, it looks like the device won't be coming this year.

A new report from Samsung's home country of South Korea is claiming that the company will start mass-producing foldable displays by end of this year, with foldable smartphones arriving next year.

The report notes that Samsung's foldable device would be a 5-inch smartphone in folded form, and would become a 7-inch tablet when un-folded or opened. Past rumors have suggested that the company is testing both Snapdragon 620 and 820 for its Project Valley smartphone, while RAM will be 3GB.

LG G5 can now be purchased from all Big Four US carriers

If you recall, we've already told you about LG G5's availability on AT&T. However, if AT&T isn't the carrier of your choice, you'll be glad to know that the flagship smartphone is now available for purchase from all major US carriers, including the Big Four ones.

While AT&T has the handset listed for $689, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint are selling it for $624, $630, and $576, respectively. US Cellular is also carrying the device, selling it for $585.

As for colors, aside from Verizon and T-Mobile - which only have the silver/titan and silver/gold options - all other carriers have the full range available.

As far as promos are concerned, while all carriers are giving away a free battery and battery charging cradle, some are running additional promos as well. For example, AT&T is giving away the LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE smartwatch for $99.99 on a 2-year agreement and T-Mobile is offering a free LG 360 CAM accessory.

AT&T Galaxy J3 (2016) launch confirmed for May 6, pricing revealed

While there have already been credible leaks about it, the AT&T variant of Samsung's Galaxy J3 (2016) has now been officially confirmed. The carrier says that the device will be available for purchase next month - May 6 to be precise.

As for the price, you'll be able to grab the AT&T Galaxy J3 (2016) by agreeing to pay $5.67 per month for a total of 30 months on the carrier's Next 24 installment plan. Sadly, the handset will only be available in white color option.

For those who aren't aware, the device is already available for purchase in the US as Virgin and Boost Mobile have been selling it since January.

Google Photos lets you search with emoji

Google has added the ability to search through your Photos library using emoji.

The emoji search works pretty much like text search. The search engine tries its best to match photos with the entered emoji. As you can see in the image above, searching for a tiger emoji pulled up the one picture of a tiger I had in my library.

The search should work best for animals, vehicles, or food emoji, but for anything else you'd have to bust the standard keyboard. While it did seem like an April Fools' prank at first, it does work, and you can try it out for yourself.

OneDrive's iOS client now lets you download multiple photos and videos in one go

Microsoft has updated OneDrive's iOS app, bumping it to version 6.13.1. The update brings new features such as the ability to download multiple photos and videos in a single attempt, as well as some regular bug fixes.

"Save 1, save 2, save 10! You can now save as many photos and videos as you’d like back to your camera roll. Simply select the files, tap the Share command and there you will find the mythical Save Photos and Videos option," the change-log reads.

As for bug fixes, they are related to issues with VoiceOver and albums. Finally, those having sync issues will have to just shake to send feedback, and a Microsoft engineer will investigate the issue for you.

Verizon Galaxy S6 getting April security patch already

While we already know that Verizon's Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge have started receiving Marshmallow updates, it has now come to light that the update also includes the latest Android security patch, at-least for the S6.

Yes, the Verizon Galaxy S6 is getting the April security update, even before the Google Nexus devices or the BlackBerry Priv. Not to mention that this month's patch has not even been officially announced by Google yet.

For those thinking how is that possible, it's worth mentioning that manufactures get access to a security patch 30 days before it's officially announced by the Mountain View, California-based company. So, if they are able to prepare the update within this period, an early roll out is very well possible.

Huawei P9 to come with a Leica co-developed camera, senior exec confirms

Huawei and Leica announced in February they'll be working together on advancements in mobile photography, and the upcoming P9 flagship will be the first to take advantage of the shared expertise. The interesting fact was revealed by Huawei's deputy chairman of the board, Mr Guo Ping, at the Chinese company's press conference where the annual financial report was made public.

We are going to launch our P9 flagship phone very soon and this is a product that we worked with Leica to produce.

Meanwhile, an image has surfaced, depicting the already familiar back of the P9 with the dual-camera setup that's all but a certainty by now. Only this time there's the added Leica branding. The revered optics specialists have deemed the lens worthy of a Summarit badge, and the specs list an f/2.2 aperture and 27mm equivalent focal length.

With the P9 confirmed to reap the benefits of the Huawei-Leica collaboration, it's only logical for the phone to carry such branding, and the typeface seems consistent with that used on the German manufacturer's own camera lenses. Well, there's just 4 days until it's all official - the P9 will be unveiled on April 6.

Sony Mobile US makes job cuts, relocates office

Sony's US mobile unit has been relocated from Atlanta to the San Francisco Bay Area, and in the process, the company has also made an unspecified number of job cuts, according to a new report.

The report also says that, Kunihiko Shiomi, who was previously the head of the Japanese company's US mobile development, has been made the unit's president. This change in leadership happened back in January this year.

In case you don't already know, Sony Mobile has been struggling in the US for quite a few years now. According to market research firm IDC, the company has had a share of less than 1% in the country's smartphone market since 2012.

OnePlus X gets a price cut in India

The OnePlus X has gotten a price cut on Amazon India, and now goes for INR 14,999 ($225). That is, the Onyx variant is discounted, both the Champagne (INR 16,999) and the Ceramic (INR 22,999) are still being sold for full price.

                     OnePlus X 

The OnePlus X is the company's smaller-sized model, which accompanies the self-proclaimed flagship killer OnePlus 2 (which as it happens also got a price cut a couple of weeks ago). The X features a 5-inch FullHD AMOLED display and is powered by the aging (but high-end nonetheless) Snapdragon 801, coupled with 3 gigs of RAM. A 13MP/8MP camera combo and 2,525mAh battery complete the list of key specs.

$1930 gets you a gold-plated Samsung Galaxy S7 edge

Luxury specialists Karalux out of Vietnam are now offering a gold-plating service for the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, so you can upgrade from your last-year 24K-covered Samsung flagship..

Samsung's switched from A7000 to A6000 grade aluminum, Karalux says, which has forced the company to introduce changes to its manufacturing processes. It now takes 6 hours over 10 separate stages to put some extra bling on an already premium device.

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Gold-plated Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge by Karalux

The pleasure of owning a gold-plated Galaxy S7 costs VND 35 million ($1570), phone included, if you happen to live in Vietnam, while international buyers will need to shell out $1730. For the S7 edge, on the other hand, those numbers are $1705 and $1930, for local and global purchases respectively.

Marshmallow will land on the BlackBerry Priv in late April or early May

Yesterday we caught a video showing the BlackBerry Priv running Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and now we finally have a rough release timeline for it to speak of.

Last year BlackBerry promised to bring Marshmallow to its first Android smartphone in 2016, then this January that commitment was reiterated with details allegedly coming by the end of Q1. And sure enough, here we are in the first day of the second quarter of the year and we now know what to expect.

The new software will be arriving on a BlackBerry Priv near you either in late April or in early May. That's still pretty vague, of course, but it's clearly only a matter of weeks from this point on. So Priv owners everywhere can now pretty much start the countdown - the wait is almost over.