Week 21 in review: OnePlus Two, Galaxy A8 and bezelless phones
Another busy week has gone by and once again, we attempt to sum up the most exciting news from the past seven days. It seems the season for major flagship announcement has passed, so now it's time for rumors and speculations about their successors and this week saw quite a few of these.
OnePlus, creators of the legendary OnePlus One smartphone might be closer to releasing a successor than we thought. A leaked benchmark score surfaced, which might be the first glimpse at the OnePlus Two, a device that has been a constant presence in the rumor mill for some time now. Specs definitely look promising and, hopefully, the device will live up to the high expectations set forth by its budget-friendly predecessor.
Moving on to Samsung, rumors hint that a few new models are already on their way to consumer markets. One is the promising Galaxy A8 - an upper mid-range offering from the all-metal series. It might feature an impressive 5.5-inch display, just slightly below the Note series and even a fingerprint sensor. There has also been talk of an Active version of the Galaxy S6. The rugged device might be a true flagship, dressed in armor, boasting the same impressive specs and even possibly throwing in a microSD card slot.
Other notable rumors include an impressive, all-metal, HTC One ME9, which has already leaked in specs and even an alleged photo. Also, we got acquainted with the Sony Lavender a little better, as well as Meizu's m1 note 2. Last, but not least, what looks like a new Apple iPhone 5c with a fingerprint sensor was spotted briefly on an official website, so, we might have that to look forward to.
Some new devices did get announced during the week and, by all accounts, it seems that the new bezelless look is in. The Oppo R7 Plus and the Sharp Aquos Crystal 2 are a testament to this. They were made official, along with another mid-ranger with a more traditional look - the Oppo R7. Another Sharp device also joins the group - the 5.7-inch Aquos Xx and so does the Elephone P8000. Last, but definitely not least, the Ubuntu-powered Meizu Mx4 finally hit the shelves, after an excruciatingly long wait.
In other news, Android development is going steady with new factory images for the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5, as well as a new and highly-improved Android Wear build. Also, a Dual-SIM LG G4 might be inbound on select markets. A move which might give the company an interesting edge in sales.
If you think you might have missed something from the busy week, here is a list of what you, our readers, found most interesting in the tech world.
OnePlus 2 apparently got benchmarked today
The upcoming successor to the OnePlus One from last year may have been put through its first test.
Oppo R7 and R7 Plus officially announced
Both come with Lollipop and octa-core CPU, the Plus adds fingerprint sensor and edge-to-edge display.
Sharp unveils Aquos Crystal 2 with a bigger, bezel-less display
The new model also has basic waterproofing, mobile wallet support and more storage.
Sony Lavender specs revealed, larger than the Xperia C4
Mediatek MT6752 with an octa-core processor and 2GB of RAM inside, dual 13MP cameras on board.
Samsung to release another Edge model before the next Note Edge?
The increased production capacity for edge displays could result in expansion of the smartphone range.
Sony Xperia Z lineup finally gets Android Lollipop
Sony Xperia Z and Xperia ZR are now getting Android Lollipop OTA, Xperia ZR and Tablet Z to follow suit.
Samsung Galaxy S6 sales reach 10M, run behind schedule
The milestone has been reached a month into the sales, still trailing behind the Galaxy S5 a year ago.
Micromax launches Canvas Nitro 2 in India, priced at around $173
It is now available on e-commerce website Infibeam as well as leading retail stores across the country.
Sharp Aquos Xx packs a 5.7" screen in aluminum body
The screen is nearly bezel-less, making the whole phone compact relative to its screen size.
Elephone P8000 packs a 4,200 cell and 3GB of RAM for $210
The 5.5-inch Chinese smartphone comes with Lollipop and worldwide LTE support.
Samsung CEO denies Galaxy Note 5 July launch rumors
J.K. Shin also said that reports of Galaxy S6 unsatisfactory sales are untrue.
Samsung Galaxy S6 Active spotted in official website listing
The Galaxy S6 Active was present in a list of eligible devices for the Samsung Plus program.
Samsung Galaxy A8 to come with a 5.5-inch screen after all
The top entrant in the A-series won't have a 5.7 display as initially thought, GFXBench listing reveals.
Microsoft will control firmware updates for Windows 10 handsets
Windows 10 smartphones will get security and reliability fixes as soon as they become available.
New HTC One ME9 image, additional launch info leak
The ME9 is shaping up to be a meta/plastic version of the One M9+ without the dual camera.
Samsung Galaxy A8 to come with fingerprint sensor
Galaxy A8 to feature 5.7" 1080p display, Snapdragon 615 SoC, and be mere 5.9mm thick.
HTC One ME9's metal frame gets pictured in leaked render
The upcoming and oft-leaked Android-running handset will feature a polycarbonate back, however.
Meizu MX4 Ubuntu Edition hits the shelves for ¥1,799
The smartphone features MediaTek MT6595 chipset with octa-core CPU and 5.36” IPS display.
Meizu M1 Note launches in India on May 20
This recently unveiled phablet is what the Chinese company chose for its debut in the subcontinent.
Meizu M1 Note 2 leaks in live image ahead of June 2 unveiling
The upcoming affordable phablet is expected early next month, and it has been pictured in the wild.
Android 5.1.1 factory images go live for Nexus 4, Nexus 5
The HTC Nexus 9 (LTE) tablet is also getting the latest Android 5.1.1 Lollipp update over-the-air.
ZTE to debut Nubia exclusively on Amazon in India
Nubia phones will be sold online exclusively with Amazon website in India from May 19.
Dual-SIM LG G4 launches in several countries
Hong Kong gets one model, while Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Ukraine get another.
iPhone 5c with Touch ID sensor spotted on Apple website
This might be the first official look we're getting at the much-rumored iPhone 6c model.
Android Wear 5.1.1 is now rolling out to all compatible devices
After its announcement last month, the update was initially only available for the LG Watch Urbane.
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Reader comments
- exe
- 24 May 2015
- n95
aquos crystal 2 me really liked.