Most interesting news stories of 2015: Q3

The third quarter of the year was perhaps the most action-packed. And not just because Apple’s launch events customarily take place in this period, as do Samsung’s Note series releases. No, there was plenty of other stuff going on.

It was the Nokia C1 that made headlines again with two of the top three stories depicting the alleged Finnish (or Finnish-Chinese) return to the smartphone world. Placing in between those two, the announcement of Xiaomi’s MIUI 7 Android overlay proved to be bigger news than almost everything this quarter.

The Sony Xperia Z5 generation was often in the news too, rumors and all, but it was our own microscope examination of the Premium’s 4K display that gathered the most hits. Sony’s explanation on when and why it actually does work in UltraHD was almost as interesting, and the smartphone’s announcement itself trailed both these stories.

The continuous rumors and leaks regarding the Samsung Galaxy Note5 and S6 edge+ were top reads, right up to the phones’ unveiling in mid-August. Again, the actual Unpacked event wasn’t quite as interesting to you.

Motorola announced three Motos in July, the Moto G (3rd gen), Moto X Play, and Moto X Style. Solid specs and competitive pricing made all three interesting to read about, as much as the iPhone 6s Plus’ revealing.

Sure we knew the next Android would be M, but the specific type of candy remained a mystery until August 17. Marshmallow became the official name, and officially one of the most interesting stories of the quarter.

Nokia's upcoming C1 Android smartphone allegedly shown in leaked renders

This has been rumored to become the Finnish company's first in a line of new smartphones coming in 2016.

Xiaomi announces new MIUI 7 based on Android 5.1 Lollipop

Comes with a new image gallery with face detection, new themes, Mi Roaming, and Kids Mode.

Live photos offer the first real look at the Nokia C1 Android phone

The screen resolution has been promoted to 1080p according to the latest leak, unfortunately the pics offer no proof of that.

Sony Xperia Z5 tipped to launch in September

It is said to be powered by the yet-to-be-released Snapdragon 820 SoC, and pack in a 4,500mAh battery.

Motorola Moto G (3rd gen) officially launched, two versions after all

The midranger comes with either 1GB RAM and 8GB storage or 2GB/16GB; Snapdragon 410, 13MP camera and IPx7 certification for both.

Galaxy J1 Ace featuring Super AMOLED display appears

The budget-friendly device carries a price tag of INR 6,400, which translates into around $95.

Sony Xperia Z5 Premium 4K display goes under our microscope

Sony stole the show at IFA by introducing the world’s first 4K display in a production smartphone, the Xperia Z5 Premium.

Lenovo A7000 Plus goes official in the Philippines with 5.5” 1080p display

As its name suggest, the newcomer is an updated version of the Lenovo A7000 that debuted in April.

Obi Worldphone SF1 and SJ1.5: affordable Androids, premium design

The SJ1.5 will cost $130 but features a a polycarbonate unibody layered on a magnesium-titanium frame.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and S6 edge Plus hardware detailed

5.7-inch QHD displays on both, Note 5 to be powered by Exynos 7422, S6 edge Plus sticks with Qualcomm.

Sony explains why the Z5 Premium only uses its native 4K resolution when needed

A new official statement clears the air around the debated 4K capabilities of the handset and explains why they are one a strict "per-need" basis.

Dual-SIM Samsung Galaxy Note 5 to have microSD support

A report out of Taiwan claims the dual-SIM version will let you insert a microSD in the second SIM slot.

Apple iPhone 6s Plus is now official with 12MP OIS camera

Apple officially unveiled the 5.5" iPhone 6s Plus with Apple A9 chipset, 3D Touch screen and a new 12MP camera.

Xiaomi announces Redmi Note 2 and Redmi Note 2 Prime in China

The phone has a new 5.5-inch 1080p display, MediaTek Helio X10 processor, 2GB RAM, 16/32GB storage, 13 megapixel camera, 3,020mAh battery, and MIUI 7.

Motorola Moto X Style and Moto X Play announced with 21MP cameras

The flagship Moto X Style comes with a 5.7” QHD display and Snapdragon 808, the Moto X Play sports a 5.2” FullHD panel and runs on the S615.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 specs leaked, no microSD

The high-end phablet is reported to come with the Exynos 7420 SoC from the Galaxy S6 and 4GB of RAM.

Android M is now officially called 6.0 Marshmallow

Google has just installed the green Marshmallow statue near its Android headquarters.

Sony Xperia Z5 Premium with world's first 4K screen unveiled

Sony left QHD flagships in the dust with the sharpest smartphone screen ever.

Upcoming Nexus 5 (2015) posts a 85K score in AnTuTu

An alleged benchmark for the upcoming Nexus device reveals a truly powerful machine.

Exclusive: Samsung Galaxy Note 5, S6 Edge Plus renders reveal dimensions, controls

We got two new sets of renders of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus.