Androidifying

HTC Bolt, the Sprint-exclusive device, was announced a few weeks ago. Thanks to Sprint’s LTE Plus network, the smartphone can reach very fast download speeds of up to 450 million bits per second. But is speed enough to consumers users to buy? The Bolt, named after the fastest man on earth — Usain Bolt — is clearly targeted at users looking for a snappy Android experience. At least in terms of download speeds, with HTC telling Forbes that “ network speeds, not the processor, are the most common speed bump”. This is notable because the HTC Bolt uses the ageing — and much maligned — Snapdragon 810 chipset. But according to  Forbes , the Taiwanese manufacturer is setting itself up for failure. Citing market analysts, Forbes doubts the Bolt will be able to increase HTC’s market share, for rather obvious reasons: it doesn’t provide what users want. See also: HTC Bolt buyers can now get a free USB-C to 3.5mm headphone adapter 6 days ago IDC did a survey across the Asian co

Despite the Galaxy Note 7 recall and witnessing the biggest drop in its smartphone market share and sales this year, the stock price for Samsung Electronics hit a record high earlier today at 1.747 million won, or just under $1,500 a piece. The surge came after the company announced a list of measures to boost shareholder value in the short term, which added $9 billion to the company’s market valuation. Earlier, Samsung announced up to $3.6 billion in dividend payouts this year, which could add up to $256 per share. This marks a 36 percent increase in payouts over last year, and the company has committed to returning 50 percent of its free cash flow to shareholders through dividends and treasury share buybacks in 2017 as well. While this strategy is good news for investors in the short term, Samsung is burning through around $10 billion in its cash reserve to keep shareholders happy. The company is also reviewing the proposal to split its corporate structure into two separate busi

Meizu has announced a pair of new smartphones at an event in China. The M3X (above right) is the latest in Meizu’s midrange lineup while the Pro 6 Plus (above left) is the Chinese company’s new flagship. Find out all the details below. Beginning with the Meizu M3X, this handset features a metal unibody with a 5.5-inch 1080p display and Helio P20 16 nm processor. It comes in 3 GB or 4 GB RAM variants running Flyme OS software, based on Android Marshmallow , and packs a 3,200 mAh battery with fast charging. The Meizu M3X will cost CNY 1,699 (~$247) for the 3 GB/32 GB model and CNY 1,999 (~290) for the 4 GB/64 GB version. Check out the rest of the specs below: 5.5-inch Full-HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) LCD display 2.3 GHz MediaTek Helio P20 octa-core processor with Mali T880 GPU 3 GB RAM with 32 GB internal storage / 4 GB RAM with 64 GB internal storage Flyme OS based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow Dual SIM support 12 MP rear camera with dual tone LED flash, Sony IMX386 sensor, f/2.0 ap

In a press event in New Delhi today, Coolpad launched two new budget smartphones in India – Note 3S and Mega 3. The highlight of the Mega 3 is that it sports three SIM card slots. The company also announced collaboration with Reliance Jio , Through this partnership, Coolpad users can avail the JIO SIM at Reliance stores by sharing their device’s purchase invoice. Coolpad Mega 3 Specifications Operating System: Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Cool UI 8.0 Display: 5.5-inch HD (1280 x 720) IPS | 269ppi Processor: MediaTek MT6737 1.25GHz quad-core RAM: 2GB Internal Storage: 16GB; expandable up to 64GB with microSD card Camera: 8MP rear camera | 8MP front camera with LED flash and 80.1-degrees FOV Battery: 3050mAh Dimensions: 154.4 x 76.8 x 8.35 mm Weight: 170.5 grams Coolpad Note 3S Specifications Operating System: Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Cool UI 8.0 Display: 5.5-inch HD (1280 x 720) IPS | 2.5D curved glass Processor: Snapdragon MSM8929 1.36GHz octa-core RAM: 3GB Inte

Lifehacker The OnePlus 3T and the recently discontinued OnePlus 3 are great, powerful devices. But as with all flagships, they are not without faults. Some users have recently been complaining about touch latency issues on their OnePlus 3/3T smartphone, both before and after the Oxygen OS update last week . Touch latency, in case you didn’t know, is the delay between your input/touch and the response of the touchscreen. The average latency on high-end smartphones like the Galaxy S7 and HTC 10 is around 50 ms. But on the latest OnePlus devices, the latency has been measured at almost double that of its competitors — 93 ms. Chances are that in most scenarios you won’t be able to notice any latency issues. But the problem does become apparent when you have numerous rapid screen interactions like, for example, typing really fast or performing short scrolling gestures. Thankfully, it’s not caused by a hardware malfunction, which means that OnePlus will be able to fix it with a softw

Sony has released a new app which aims to help PS4 owners to connect while away from the console. PlayStation Communities hit the Google Play Store yesterday and allows users to find and interact with gamers who share similar likes and interests. Sony Vice President of PlayStation Brand Marketing John Koller detailed the app in a blog post . You can join and discover gaming communities, post text and image messages to the community wall and receive push notifications to stay up to date with what’s happening in the communities you’re a part of. See also: Sony introduces Final Fantasy XV Walkman, headphones and Bluetooth speaker 2 days ago “Within a Community, you can join parties and launch into games with other Community members, or talk about your shared interests,” Koller wrote, adding, “For instance, if you’re having trouble finding players to tackle Destiny’s newest raid, Wrath of the Machine, a Destiny community may help you fill out your fireteam.” The app is av

Great news for all you gamers out there. Afterpulse, the action-packed game first released on iOS last year, is now available to a few (but not all) Android users. The competitive multiplayer third-person shooter, which was developed by Gamevil and has won quite a few awards worldwide, was recently soft-launched on Google’s mobile platform. It’s currently available in 14 countries around the world — Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam. Users in other countries will be able to download the game when it launches globally, which will hopefully happen in a few months time. See also: 15 best Android games of 2016 4 weeks ago In Afterpulse, you take on the role of a soldier who is trying to restore peace in the world. The game offers quite a few customization options, as you’re able to personalize the headgear, full body armor, and equipment of the character. You can als