Moto G (4th gen) leak shows fingerprint reader on the front

Earlier this year we got a blurry look at the 2016 edition of the Moto G and it took this long to get a clearer view of the upcoming mid-ranger. You can clearly see the fingerprint that Lenovo SVP Chen Xudong promised.

The fingerprint is square-shaped and positioned on the front, it's not entirely clear if it works as a button or not. The official word from Lenovo is that all Moto-branded phones will have fingerprint readers and we saw the outline of one in a "Moto G4 Plus" leak, so perhaps were in for a more diversified lineup this year (instead of just the E/G/X trio).

Moto G leak: square fingerprint on the front • Camera with (perhaps) Laser AF

Anyway, the camera on the back retains the vertical strip design. We don't have much to go on specs-wise, but the two dots above the camera could be a Laser autofocus setup.

The Moto G (3rd gen) was announced in July 2015 and with the slow trickle of leaks, I assume it will be a while before the 4th gen model is out.

Huawei P9 Leica camera setup is made by Sunny Optical Technology

A key feature of the Huawei P9 and P9 Plus is their dual-camera setup, featuring Leica-certified optics. Recent information regarding the two cameras reveal they are made by Sunny Optical Technology of China, which is a camera manufacturer authorized by Leica.

This is the first time the Germany-based Leica is cooperating with a Chinese OEM. If this first endeavor proves successful, it's quite possible to see more Leica camera tech in future smartphones.

In our Huawei P9 review we concluded that the phone has one of the best camera setups on the market. The dynamic range is high and colors are spot on with more than enough resolved detail.

Motorola Moto 360 Sport gets $70 price cut in US

The Sport variant of the second generation Motorola Moto 360 smartwatch has received a price cut in the United States, where Amazon currently has the timepiece listed for around $230, down from the $300 price tag the watch usually carries.

A quick look the Motorola's US website reveals the same $300 price tag for the device, meaning the deal indeed saves you around $70. What's worth mentioning, however, is that only the black colored model is being offered at discounted rates - white and flame options are still $300.

Interested in the deal? Head to the Source link below and grab a unit before the promotion runs out.

Report says Google Play saw over 11 billion app downloads last quarter

According to a new report, the Google Play Store - which hosts a total of around 2 million apps - saw more than 11 billion app downloads (11.1 billion to be precise) in the last quarter, an increase of around 6.7% compared to the figure reported during the same time last year.

Of the most downloaded apps, the top three included Facebook Messenger, Facebook, and Snapchat. Candy Crush Jelly Saga and Pandora rounded up the top five.

The report also notes that the Play Store's Gaming category - despite growing less than 1% year-on-year - was five times larger than the Tools category. Talking about the number of downloads, the games to tools ratio stood at 4:1. The app category which witnessed the highest (20%) year-on-year growth was Photography.

BlackBerry Priv currently available for just $450

If you're in the United States, and are planning to purchase BlackBerry's debut Android smartphone (the Priv), here is some good news: for a limited time, the device has received a solid price cut.

Daily Steals currently has the handset listed for $450, down from the $700 price tag that it usually carries there. A quick look at the Canadian company's official US online store reveals a price tag of $650, so the deal saves you at-least $200.

The model on offer is AT&T branded, although unlocked, meaning you'll be able to use it with other GSM carriers as well. As we've already told you, it's a limited time deal, with the listing currently saying that it'll end in the next 4 days.

Google Play Music officially adds podcasts

Google started testing the addition of a dedicated podcasts section to its Play Music service back in February, but it was a very limited rollout at that moment. Today though, after months of testing, podcasts are finally available for everyone. Well, not quite - for now that's everyone in the US and Canada.

The new feature should already be available inside the Web version of Google Play Music, and it's rolling out in stages to Android devices.

Google says it's made finding interesting podcasts easy in the interface, with contextual suggestions such as "Learning something new", "Getting lost in a story", or "Laughing out loud". And obviously once you've found something you like you can easily subscribe and the last few episodes will be downloaded automatically. You can also choose to receive a notification every time a new episode is released.

Two Sony camera sensor factories in Japan halt operations due to earthquake

Sony's image sensor production plant in Kyushu Island has been closed due to the recent deadly earthquakes in the country. The Kumamoto Prefecture factory is the second of Sony's image sensor plants to halt its operation after the one in the Kyushu city of Nagasaki.

If the plants don't resume operations, it could be problematic for both Sony and its partners who count on it for CMOS sensors. Currently, nearly 40% of the market uses the company's image sensors. Happily, a Sony spokesman has told Reuters that there won't be immediate disruption in the supply since Sony has some inventory available.

Sony is still checking for potential damage to the plants, which operate on a 24-hour basis. However, as soon as the earthquake aftershocks end, the work in the plants will be restored.

We hope the aftershocks end soon, but statistically, this could take a while. The Tohoku earthquake from March 2011 saw 900 aftershocks, three of which were over magnitude 7.0.

DJI announces the Matrice 600 aerial photography drone

DJI has announced its newest and most proficient aerial photography drone, the Matrice 600.

The Matrice 600 is the most powerful drone DJI ever made and is designed to lift your heavy camera rig along with a gimbal mount. The six rotor system can lift a maximum payload of 6kg, and has full support for DJI's own Zenmuse Z15 series and the brand new Ronin-MX gimbal designed to work specifically with the M600 in the air.

The M600 uses the new A3 flight controller and Lightbridge 2 video transmission technology to transmit 1080p video at up to 5 kilometers distance. The A3 flight controller uses sine-wave driven electronic speed controllers for accurate movements in the air. The self adaptive flight system adjusts parameters automatically based on the payload.

The A3 system can be upgraded to A3 PRO, which uses data from three GPS systems and three inertial measurement units. The system can be further upgraded to DJI Real-Time Kinematic technology, which offers centimeter accurate flight patterns to be replicated, so you can get the same shot every time.

The M600 has a custom six battery array, and can continue to fly even if one of the batteries fails. It can fly for 36 minutes with the DJI Zenmuse Z5 camera or up to 16 minutes with something like the RED EPIC.

The M600 supports the DJI GO app, which allows you to remotely monitor the live video feed, battery and redundancy status, transmission strength and also adjust the camera aperture, shutter speed, photo and video capture on any of the Zenmuse X-series cameras, with remote focus on the Zenmuse X5 and Z5R.

The DJI Matrice 600 costs $4599, and the Ronin-MX is another $1599.

Metallic design, May launch tipped for Samsung's C series smartphones

As you might already know, Samsung is working on a new 'C' series of smartphones, with the SM-C5000 being spotted on Zauba last month and on Geekbench recently, revealing some of its key specs.

Now, thanks to a new report, we know a bit more about the new series. The report says that the C series will feature thin metallic bodies, and is expected to launch in the month of May (next month). As for the launch markets, the phones are expected to be exclusive to China.

Aside from the SM-C5000, a C7000 model is also said to be in the works, although not much is known about it at the moment. Also not known is the price tag these C series handsets will carry.

New Nubia Z11 Mini teasers focus on device's camera

Nubia (the ZTE sub-brand) has released a couple of new teasers of its upcoming Z11 Mini smartphone. The teasers focus on the device's camera, with one of them confirming that the phone will come with an updated NeoVersion camera system, and saying that it will be "Simply Beautiful."

Another teaser - which the Chinese company shared on its Facebook page - features a jumping cheetah being snapped, effectively conveying that the device's camera will be very fast.

Meanwhile, the company's GM Ni Fei revealed that the camera will come with a new feature dubbed Clone Mode, although he didn't offer much details about it.

The Nubia Z11 Mini (which was spotted listed on TENAA last month) as well as the standard Z11 are expected to be officially announced tomorrow (April 19).

Android N to have pressure sensitive display support

Google is working on adding pressure sensitive touchscreen support in Android N. According to The Verge, who reached out to Google, the company confirmed that this will be baked into the OS due to demand from OEMs who want to implement the feature in their devices. Having an OS-level support means the manufacturers won't have to do it on their own (as Huawei does right now) and it will also have better support from third party developers.

The latest developer preview of Android N has a hint of this ability in the new "setDynamicShortcuts(List)" feature. With this, shortcuts on your homescreen will show additional functionality when you press on the display, similar to the iPhone 6s. It's not specific to pressure sensitive displays, however, so it could be invoked by other methods, such as a swipe down, on devices that don't have a pressure sensitive display.

Amazon Prime monthly subscriptions now available; Prime Video launched as standalone service

If you are a fan of Amazon's Prime delivery service, but don't like the fact that it's only available as an annual subscription, here is some good news: the online retailer has rolled out a monthly subscription for it.

There are, however, a couple of important facts worth knowing about the new subscription. Firstly, it costs $10.99/month, meaning around $130 a year, which is way more when compared to the current $99 a year annual subscription.

And secondly, the new monthly subscription does not include the Amazon Prime Video service, which is currently included in the $99 yearly subscription. The video service, meanwhile, has been launched as a standalone product, costing $8.99 a month.