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Leaked codenames hint at two sensibly-sized HTC Nexus phones in 2016

Last year, Google chose LG and Huawei to make the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, moving away from one mobile launch per year. This year, we may see two new devices launched again, but this time HTC might be in charge of the entire production.

Nexus Codenames

Codenames for the two rumored HTC Nexus devices have been posted today by reliable HTC leaker @LlabTooFeR, adding a little more substance to the existing rumor. The codenames are apparently T50 and T55, which may refer to the rumored 5-inch and 5.5-inch display sizes for the two Nexus devices. HTC has used similar names before. The 5.9-inch HTC One Max was codenamed T6, for example.

Sadly, the leak doesn’t provide any further information on the two devices. It’s also unknown whether these phones are destined for production, or are simply test devices.

HTC Wins Nexus Contract

Earlier this week, a rumor from China indicated that HTC may have won a contract to manufacture two Nexus devices for Google. The post said the two devices may feature smaller 5-inch and 5.5-inch displays, compared to the 5.2-inch and 5.7-inch displays on the Nexus 5X and 6P.

If the gathering rumors are correct, it wouldn’t be HTC’s first time in the Nexus program. The company last worked with Google on the Nexus 9 tablet in 2014, and even though it was well received by reviewers, it failed to reach the same sales figures as previous Nexus tablets. Before this, HTC worked on the original Google Nexus One, the first mobile in the Nexus program launched six years ago.

It’s claimed that Huawei was in the running for the 2016 Nexus contract as well, but Google decided to work with HTC instead. This is surprising, considering Huawei’s meteoric rise in the sales charts over the past 12 months, compared to HTC’s downfall over the same time period.

The Weibo poster making these claims is @Mocha RQ, an avid commenter on all mobile rumors in China. This is one of the few times he has posted a rumor on a company outside of China, after apparently receiving the information from contacts in Hong Kong.

Like all rumors, we should take this news with a large pinch of salt. There’s a long time before the new Nexus phones will be officially revealed, and we could see drastic alterations to HTC over the coming months, so plenty could change. However, we’ll keep you up to date with any more on HTC’s possible Nexus device plans right here.

Also watch: Google brings spatial audio to Cardboard for 360-degree sound

Everything you need to know about the BlackBerry Priv Android phone

M.A.Rafay Siddiqui 06:20

Everything you need to know about the BlackBerry Priv Android phone

T-Mobile finally gets the BlackBerry Priv on January 26

Android fans who still desire a physical keyboard have got something to celebrate, because after months of rumors, BlackBerry released an Android phone. It’s called the Priv, and here’s everything we know so far.

Support, price, and pre-order details for the Priv

BlackBerry opened up orders for the Priv in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada in late 2015, and expanded availability to Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany in early 2016. Here are all the places where you can buy or reserve an unlocked, SIM-free BlackBerry Priv, as well as the pricing for each of those countries.

United States:

ShopBlackBerry U.S. ($700 USD)

AT&T was the first U.S. carrier to offer the BlackBerry Priv. It’s available in retail stores and online now, and customers can purchase the phone for $250 with a two-year contract or via AT&T Next with $0 down. You have your choice of Next 24 (30 payments) for $24.67 per month, Next 18 (24 months) for $30.84 per month, or Next 12 (20 months) for $37 per month. The total comes to $740.

If you’re wondering about T-Mobile, the carrier announced that the Priv will be available starting on January 26. You can get the Priv with the Uncarrier’s Jump! On Demand program for $0 upfront and $34 a month for 18 months or you can get the Priv for $0 down and $30-a-month payments for 24 months. All the info is in T-Mobile’s press release.

Regarding Sprint, and Verizon, BlackBerry CEO John Chen announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in early 2016 that the Priv would hit the remaining two major U.S. carriers “soon.”

The phone sold through the BlackBerry store is designed to work with GSM networks, but a CDMA-compatible model is, as mentioned, coming to Verizon in the next few months. The network tweeted confirmation on November 6, and directed those interested in singing sign-up on its website for more information. No release timeframe was offered.

The news follows an Instagram picture posted at the beginning of November, showing a Priv connected to Verizon Wireless. According to the accompanying comments, it’s a test phone from BlackBerry.

Canada:

Rogers (Reserve your device)
ShopBlackBerry Canada ($900 CDN)

United Kingdom:

Carphone Warehouse
ShopBlackBerry U.K. (£560 Incl. VAT)

Germany:

Italy:

ShopBlackBerry Italy (€779)

Netherlands:

ShopBlackBerry Netherlands (€779)

Spain:

ShopBlackBerry Spain (€779)

We’ll continue to update this section as more pricing information becomes available.

Marshmallow and security updates

In a recent interview with Android Central, Ron Louks, Blackberry’s president of devices, commented on the upcoming update to Android Marshmallow 6.0 and monthly security updates. Louks didn’t give a firm date for Marshmallow, but said the update should hit “sometime in the new year,” at least confirming that BlackBerry Priv users will not have to wait long for it.

On security updates, Louks said BlackBerry would try to adhere — at least in Europe — to pushing security updates within a month of Google releasing them. As more malware and vulnerabilities hit Android, manufacturers are being called upon to quickly update devices and make sure users are safe and secure. BlackBerry will import its own security systems as well, to ensure any vulnerabilities are mitigated before Google patches them.

High-end specs and Android

BlackBerry has gone all out with its first Android phone, so the specs are about as high-end as any other flagship Android phone — unfortunately, the Priv also has a high price tag to match.The phone has an intriguing slider design, the likes of which we haven’t seen in a number of years., so that users can choose between a virtual keyboard or a physical keyboard. When you slide the screen back, a full QWERTY keyboard in the old-school BlackBerry style is revealed. The keys are touch sensitive for scrolling and cursor control, too, so you can use it as a trackpad if need be.

Adding flair to the eccentric design is an immersive dual-curved screen made out of Corning Gorilla Glass 4. The 5.4-inch OLED packs a pixel resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 and a pixel density of 540ppi. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor powers the Priv, along with 3GB of RAM. While it may not be the latest processor, it is the same one found in the LG G4 and Moto X Style Pure Edition, which is to say, it’s more than zippy enough.

BlackBerry placed 32GB of storage in the Priv, which is expandable out to 2TB via a MicroSD card slot. A 3,410mAh battery promises to keep the phone running through 22.5 hours of mixed use, according to BlackBerry. Luckily, it supports Quick Charge 2.0, so even if the Priv doesn’t last as long as BlackBerry says it does, you’ll be able to juice it up quickly.

On the back of the phone, there’s an 18-megapixel dual-flash camera that’s certified by Schneider-Kreuznach. The camera app offers settings so you can tweak the photos, and the sensor itself boasts Phase Detection Auto Focus, OIS, and dual-color flash. There’s also a 2-megapixel, front-facing camera.

BlackBerry’s new Android apps

When it comes to software, BlackBerry’s added a few bells and whistles to make Android secure enough to suit its standards. The BlackBerry Hub is included, which brings all your messages into one feed, as are other standard BlackBerry apps like BBM. BlackBerry’s special DTEK for Android software will also alert you when your privacy may be at risk, give you a security rating for your device, and it offers for specific security features, so that you know what’s going on with your personal info and more. You can determine which apps and services are allowed to use your microphone, camera, contacts, and more.

BlackBerry released a range of apps onto the Google Play store in late October. The apps will be pre-installed on the BlackBerry Priv, and are apparently only usable on that device. Users who tried to download the apps were informed that their devices are incompatible.

The apps include: BlackBerry Launcher, Keyboard, Camera, and Services. Password Keeper has been added to store all passwords in a single folder, encrypted and secured by BlackBerry — the app can also import info for previous BlackBerry owners moving to Android. DTEK for BlackBerry and MicrosoftexFat for BlackBerry have also been added to the Google Play store.

Having all of the applications on the Google Play store should make them instantly available without a firmware update. BlackBerry plans to offer an almost stock experience, with additional security and some new applications ported over from BB10.

You can check out all the specs and more information on BlackBerry’s website here.

HTC announces UK One M8 Marshmallow update, M9 to “follow shortly”

M.A.Rafay Siddiqui 08:24

HTC announces UK One M8 Marshmallow update, M9 to “follow shortly”

HTC is continuing to roll out its Android 6.0 Marshmallow builds for its flagship smartphones this year. We have seen an update land in Asia and North America so far, and today the company has announced that the latest version of Android will be making its way out to HTC One M8 customers living in the UK very soon.

According to the company’s official UK Twitter account,Marshmallow update will begin rolling out for the One M8 in the UK sometime within the next 48 hours. One M9customers need not fret either, the company says that a similar update is on the way for its latest flagship “shortly”, although we don’t have an exact time frame. Presumably this update is for unlocked models. Any carrier branded smartphones will have to wait longer for network providers to bundle their software in with the update as well.

It may be a little odd that the M8 seems to be ahead of the M9, but this has been the case in a number of countries so far. The updates we have seen so far have weighed it just over 1GB but contain the new definable app permissions, Doze battery optimizations, and Now on Tap Android features, as well as some of HTC’s own apps and tweaks.

UK customers should keep an eye out for that over-the-air update notification in the next couple of days.

Soft tech

Leaked codenames hint at two sensibly-sized HTC Nexus phones in 2016

Leaked codenames hint at two sensibly-sized HTC Nexus phones in 2016

HTC Wins Nexus Contract

Everything you need to know about the BlackBerry Priv Android phone

Everything you need to know about the BlackBerry Priv Android phone

Marshmallow and security updates

High-end specs and Android

BlackBerry’s new Android apps

HTC announces UK One M8 Marshmallow update, M9 to “follow shortly”

HTC announces UK One M8 Marshmallow update, M9 to “follow shortly”

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