HTC One M9+ (Plus) to launch late March or early April, no longer exclusive to Asian market [RUMOR]

We were surprised to find that, during HTC’s big Mobile World Congress reveal, the manufacturer failed to mention anything about the oft rumored HTC One M9 Plus (aka HTC Hima Ultra). This was after the handset had been leaked numerous times, allegedly coming equipped with a MediaTek processor and fancy Samsung-like home button.

For all those anxious to get their hands on the HTC phablet, it seems it wont be much longer. According to @upleaks, he confirmed via his Twitter account today that the phone will allegedly launch towards the end of Q1 (late March), or the beginning of Q2 (early April). What’s more is the official launch name will be the One M9+, not “Plus.”

Rumored HTC One M9+ specs

• MediaTek MT6795 64-bit octa-core processor


• 5.2-inch WQHD display


• 3GB RAM


• 32GB internal storage


• Touch based finger print sensor (located on front)


• Android 5.0.2 with Sense 7.0


• 20.7MP + 2.1MP rear cameras (Duo Camera)


• 13MP front facing camera


• BoomSound


• Bluetooth 4.1


• 2,840mAh Battery

Originally, @upleaks mentioned the EMEA/USA version was going to carry a Snapdragon processor, but had been cancelled. While it seems the M9+ is apparently now on for EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), apparently it will still feature the same MediaTek processor as the Asian variant. Boo.

Motorola’s Moto E 2nd Gen will launch on Verizon Wireless tomorrow March 12th

 

A few weeks ago Motorola announced the all new Moto E for 2015. The updated smartphone comes equipped with LTE radios and packs a larger punch in the spec department than the previous model, making this extremely wallet friendly phone very enticing to those on budget.

The latest information available to us puts the Moto E 2nd Gen launching on Verizon Wireless tomorrow, March 12th. There’s no word on pricing, but from the looks of it, the all new Moto E will be part of Verizon’s Pre-Paid ensemble, where customers get unlimited talk, text, and 1GB of data for a month. Generous.

If you’re looking to purchase your very first smartphone, you can’t go wrong by starting off with a Moto E and a prepaid plan. At least, that’s what Motorola and Verizon are gunning for.

AT&T’s Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini launches March 20th for $99 on-contract

The Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini might not be able to match the internal prowess of the bigger original it’s based on, but for on contract (.30 per month on Next 24, .88 per month on Next 18 or .48 per month on Next 12) it might become a very decent option among AT&T’s lineup. The device launches March 20th, the carrier has announced.

Here’s what you’re getting for that bit of coin:

• Display: 4.5-inch 720p


• Rear Camera: 8MP


• Front Camera: 2MP


• Voice Calling: HD Voice capable


• Dimensions: 5.16 x 2.55 x 0.36-inches


• Weight: 4.23 ounces


• Operating System: Android 4.4.4 KitKat


• Processor: 1.4GHz Quad-core


• Memory: 16GB internal storage, supporting up to 128GB with external microSD card


• Battery Life: Up to 20 hours of talk time and up to 10 days standby time

Not as great of a value as something like the 2nd gen Moto E due soon, but the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini has more than enough to hold its own if you absolutely must have a Samsung device. The device will be available both in-store and online, so stop into an AT&T store to check it out before buying if you’re curious about its look and feel before committing to it.

[via AT&T]

You can buy a Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition inside Best Buy stores this Friday, March 27th

After Samsung began allowing casuals to test drive the Gear VR at their local Best Buy, the virtual reality headset will officially make its retail debut this Friday, March 27th. That’s when the Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition — powered by Oculus — will hit more than 100 Best Buy retail locations across the US (with additional locations throughout the year), meaning you’ll officially be able to walk in, test it out, and walk out with a Gear VR if you like what you see.

If you’re still on the fence about the virtual reality craze, our own Kevin Krause was probably the biggest skeptic, but later raved about the Gear VR in his full review. The Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition is only compatible with the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 as of now (there are workarounds), but an official Galaxy S6 version is also expected sometime down the road. In case you missed it, we got a chance to play with that model during this year’s Mobile World Congress and were basically blow away.

The Gear VR simulates movement using your smartphone’s motion sensors and displays dual-images to each eye for an added 3D effect. While there isn’t too much VR content at the moment, the list is definitely growing. It was last week YouTube added support for 360-degree 3D videos via their Android app and Chrome, while Samsung has their own app for watching immersive 3D videos via the Milk VR app. Oh, and if “adult” entertainment is more your thing (we wont judge), we already got people are already working on that too.

The Gear VR IE is currently available online at BestBuy.com for 0 but if you’re interested in waiting until Friday, you can find a list of Best Buy locations where you can walk in and buy one right here.

Verizon’s Nexus 6 leaks again, confirms March 12th launch with Android 5.1

In recent weeks we’ve told you that Verizon’s Nexus 6 would be launching on March 12th, shown you images with Verizon’s branding, and shown you evidence that Android 5.1 comes with VoLTE support baked in. If you’re still skeptical that Verizon Wireless will finally be carrying the Nexus 6 in just a few days, we have some more information for you Verizon fans drooling for more information.

Yesterday on reddit, user Mh1781 posted the above image, which corresponded with our earlier reports that, indeed, the Nexus 6 was coming. We reached out to our very own dude in the know, aka sources close to Phandroid, and they were able to confirm the same information for us as well as provide pricing information. The Nexus 6 will be available for purchase on March 12 at verizonwireless.com, will be available in stores on March 19th, Verizon’s Nexus 6 will run you 9 with a 2-year contract, 9 if you decide to buy the Nexus 6 without a contract, or .16 a month on Verizon’s Edge plan. As for color and storage options, only the 32GB Midnight Blue version will be available.

Since Verizon’s Nexus 6 comes with Android 5.1, one can only assume that Android 5.1 Lollipop will be hitting other Nexus devices in a matter of days. Google generally doesn’t release a phone without providing factory images and source code in a timely manner. Fingers crossed Nexus owners.

Thanks Mr D!

Nexus 6 now available to purchase at Verizon, but won’t ship until March 18th

Verizon yesterday officially announced that the Nexus 6 would be available for purchase online today. That’s true — you can head right here and order one for 0 on a two-year contract or .08 per month on Edge (9.99 outright if you have the dough to spend).

There’s just one problem, though — it won’t actually ship until March 18th, which is one-day shy of its in-store availability. We’re not sure why Verizon failed to mention this “gotcha” when they announced the device, but if you were hoping to throw your money at them today for the biggest Nexus phone in history and get it in time for the weekend then you’ll be quite disappointed.

Whether you should still pre-order the device is up to you. There’s a slight chance it could ship ahead of March 18th, but Verizon’s backorder dates typically don’t change. For what it’s worth the Nexus 6 is one of the few devices worth waiting for. We gave it a glowing review, and although there were some performance issues early on we’re expecting Android 5.1 (which it’s shipping with) to clear most of that up.

Don’t forget that Verizon’s Nexus 6 will also come with support for HD Voice / VoLTE / Advanced Calling 1.0 / whatever else you want to call it out of the box. If that’s important to you then there is almost no better phone to get right now (you can check the full lot of them out here). Let us know if you’ll still be looking to buy one or if Verizon’s being a bit too slow for your taste.

T-Mobile brings Data Stash to prepaid customers March 22nd

T-Mobile’s Data Stash is bringing rollover back in a good way, but there was still a large sector of their customer base who couldn’t even get in on the fun — those on prepaid plans. That will change March 22nd as the carrier has announced Data Stash will be headed to prepaid.

In case you missed it, Data Stash is T-Mobile’s “rollover for data,” promising that any amount of unused data allotted to you can be rolled into your data pool the following month. Data can be stashed for up to 12 months, so even if you go a few months without eating through your plan it will all stack until you use it or until that data has been “stashed” for 12 months.

It’s not perfect, but T-Mobile definitely didn’t have to do it and we’re glad they’ve shaken up the industry as a result. The company’s next Uncarrier announcement happens this Wednesday, so stay tuned for even more awesomeness coming from Magenta.

[via T-Mobile]

T-Mobile’s next big announcement is happening in New York City March 18th

Quick heads-up, folks: T-Mobile is getting ready to make another big announcement. They’ve even carved out a block of time — March 18th — and a venue in the Big Apple for this one, so it must be something big.

There aren’t any strong rumors floating about, but the invitation’s “This One is a Real Piece of Work” tagline suggests it could be business oriented. Will we finally see Magenta bringing all of the great Uncarrier features over to business customers? That’d be awesome, but let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. All will be known in about a week and a half so sit tight and we’ll bring you the news as we hear it!

[via TmoNews]

B&H lists HTC One M9 with March 25th release date, quickly removes date from website

HTC was only comfortable sharing a “mid-March” release window for the HTC One M9 during their Mobile World Congress unveiling last week, but one retailer might have shed some light on a more pointed release date ahead of time.

B&H prematurely listed the device with a March 25th sale date and a price tag (an expected price tag, mind you) of 9.99. And for what it’s worth they’ve since updated their website to remove any mentions of price or release dates.

So is March 25th the big day? It could be, but it’s important to remember that information through retailers isn’t always accurate. There are a couple of different possibilities you should consider:

• If March 25th is accurate, it might only be accurate for B&H. There’s a chance that the HTC One M9’s release date could be sooner or later elsewhere.


• Retailers often use placeholder information when they don’t have a clear idea, so the March 25th date could have been a bold shot in the dark by B&H.


• The sale date isn’t necessarily the same as the shipping date, so even if  B&H begin taking orders on March 25th that doesn’t mean the device will ship that same day.

Whatever the case may be, B&H certainly didn’t want us to know this information and they’re probably chastising the person who made the mistake of putting it out there this early. We’ll still have to keep our eye out for official release information from HTC and the world’s carriers, but this early sighting lets us know that the company’s ambitious mid-March deadline might not be hard to meet.

[via PhoneArena]

Take control of March Madness with these sporty Android apps

The field of 68 teams will soon be announced, and the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament will officially be underway. For many sports fans this is considered the best time of the year. There will be games happening at all hours of the day, buzzer beaters, massive upsets, and tons of excitement. We’ve got a list of essential apps that will help you get the most out of this year’s March Madness.

Brackets

What makes March Madness so exciting? It’s a tournament filled with schools you wouldn’t normally care about, until you fill out a bracket. Suddenly you’re cheering for a school called “Robert Morris” like you’re an alumni. Filling out a bracket and entering it in pools at work or in online challenges is what makes this tournament so fun. We’ve got a few apps that can fill your bracket needs.

ESPN Tournament Challenge

Back in the day joining an office pool meant printing out a dozen brackets and keeping track of winners and losers by hand. ESPN Tournament Challenge makes it much easier. Simply create a group and invite your friends. ESPN will automatically keep track of the brackets and show you who’s winning. It’s also a great place to read news and updates from the tourney. [FREE]

Bracket Tracker

Bracket Tracker is great if you’re just looking for a simple way to fill out and track your bracket. You can create multiple brackets, for both men and women, and keep track of wins and losses. It’s a nice alternative to keeping a folded up bracket in your pocket all day. [FREE]

Scores & News

You might not be interested in filling out brackets, but you still want to keep up with news and scores.. We’ve got a few apps that will help you stay on top of all the happenings from this year’s tournament.

Thuuz Sports

Thuuz is one app that every sports fan should have in their arsenal. It uses an algorithm to rate all live and upcoming games for level of enthusiasm. It will also send alerts when a live game is particularly exciting. This year they used their algorithm to determine that the 2013 Sweet 16 game between Michigan and Kansas was the most exciting tournament game from the last few years. Thuuz is indispensable during March Madness. [FREE]

NCAA Sports

When watching an NCAA sporting event you can’t for wrong with the official NCAA Sports app. With this app you can get live scores and updates, breaking news, custom alerts for your favorite teams, and a special hub for your favorite team. When you want NCAA go to the NCAA. [FREE]

ESPN

The ESPN App gives you up-to-the-minute scores and news with loads of video highlights from the “worldwide leader in sports.” You know ESPN is going to cover every single inch of March Madness goodness. Check out the “NOW” views for real-time updates while the tournament action is hot and heavy. [ESPN]

theScore

If you’re not a fan of the “Mothership,” a.k.a ESPN, you can use my personal favorite sports app: theScore. With the score you get news and scores without all the extra fluff. You can also set up favorite teams and sports to get custom alerts. It’s simple, fast, customizable, and easy to use. [FREE]

CBS Sports

One of the main TV networks to broadcast NCAA Tournament games is CBS, so you know they have a good app for coverage. Follow live action with GameTrackers, scoreboards, stats, and more. Plus you can set up scoring, team news, and breaking news alerts to keep you on top of all the action. [FREE]

Watching Live

The most important thing to do during March Madness is, of course, watch as many basketball games as humanly possible. In order to do this you’ll need much more than just a television. Use these apps to watch games while you’re at work, on the train, in the bathroom, sitting in a waiting room, or any other possible moment of free time.

NCAA March Madness Live

Far and away the best app for watching live tournament games is the official March Madness app. Log in with your TV provider to enjoy unlimited access to live streaming video of all 67 games of the 2014 NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, across TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV. If you don’t have cable a temporary preview period is available for live game streaming before login is required. [FREE]

Sling TV

If you don’t have cable, but still want to watch as many games as you can, consider trying Sling TV. You can get 7 for free and then it’s for a full month. SImply cancel your subscription after March Madness is over. With Sling you’ll get TBS and TNT, which leaves just CBS (free OTA), and truTV. The service is not free, but it’s not a bad price for one month of basketball. [FREE]

Verizon makes it official: Nexus 6 launches online March 12th, in-store March 19th

It took Verizon an obnoxious amount of time to join the Nexus 6 party, but the nation’s largest carrier has finally set an official date. It’s March 12th — a date we’ve given you before thanks to trusty insiders — and it’ll largely be the same Nexus 6 available everywhere else (with exception to that sore thumb of a logo, of course). Note that it will only be available through Verizon’s online store tomorrow. Those hoping to run into a store to grab one will have to wait until March 19th.

This is Verizon’s first officially supported Nexus phone since the Galaxy Nexus debacle of 2011. That particular handset was marred by a couple of big shortcomings: bad battery life (likely due to the infancy of LTE) and Verizon’s lengthy upgrade schedule. We’re hoping things have changed all these years later and that they’ll be able to deliver the same quality Nexus experience that everyone else currently is.

Verizon’s Nexus 6 will cost you 9.99 with a new two-year activation or .08 per month for 24 months with Verizon Edge. It’ll come with support for Advanced Calling 1.0 out of the box thanks to it shipping with Android 5.1 Lollipop — perhaps the update’s arrival was Verizon’s sole reason for delaying their launch.

Oh, and if you buy one before the month is over you’ll even get 6 free months of Google Play Music service. Not bad at all. Take the plunge online starting tomorrow.

[via Verizon]

Google is shutting down Softcard on March 31st

Rumors about Google acquiring Softcard, the carrier-backed mobile wallet system (formerly known as ISIS Wallet), started back in January. Last month those rumors became official when Google announced they had acquired technology from Softcard. Thanks to that technology Google Wallet will come preloaded on future Android devices from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

All of this is great news for Google Wallet users, but what about Softcard? Unfortunately, the service will be shut down on March 31st. This might not be a big deal for Android users, who have access to Google Wallet, but Softcard was available on other platforms as well. Windows Phone users will be left out to dry with no other mobile payment options.

The saga of Google Wallet has been bizarre to say the least. Just three years ago carriers were actively blocking it from devices, but now it will come preloaded. The mobile payment war is about to get very intense. The iPhone now has Apple Wallet, and soon Samsung devices will have their own mobile payment system. How will the new and improved Google Wallet fare?

The LG G Flex 2 launches on US Cellular March 26th

US Cellular has announced that they will be offering the LG G Flex 2 starting March 26th. The phone will cost 0, though you can get it for down and .50 per month for 20 months. US Cellular opted to provide the Platinum Silver color option only, so you won’t have much of a decision to make once you head to your nearest store.

The LG G Flex 2 is a very decent phone by 2015’s standards. Here’s what LG put on paper for us when we visited them for a look at the device at CES earlier this year:

• 5.5″ Curved Full HD P-OLED Display


• 13 MP OIS+ Laser Auto Focus Rear Camera and 4K Ultra HD Camcorder


• 2.1MP Front Camera with Gesture Shutter and Gesture View


• 3,000 mAh Battery with Fast Charge, allowing for a 50 percent charge in less than 40 minutes


• Operating System: Android 5.0


• Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 810 Processor


• Storage: 32 GB ROM (21GB of usable memory) with a microSD slot


• Dimensions: 5.87 x 2.96 x 0.35 inch

Doesn’t sound like a bad alternative to the LG G4 if you’re getting tired of waiting. Don’t forget that this thing also has an improved self-healing back so scratches evaporate just as soon as they appear. Will you be getting one?

HTC One M9’s first official release date is March 16th

HTC’s mid-March release window for the HTC One M9 is about as accurate as you can get. The company has just announced the first official availability date for the device. It’ll go on sale beginning March 16th in their home turf of Taiwan in conjunction with 5 of the nation’s largest carriers.

According to local press, HTC held the initial launch in Taiwan so as to instill some Taiwanese pride among the hometown people excited to buy their phone. They drove that point home with traditional festivities such as drum performances and a performance by a local orchestra. This is in contrast to last year’s strategy of making United States’ Verizon Wireless the very first carrier to call dibs on the HTC One M8.

HTC mentioned that while the M9’s officially recognized launch date is March 16th, it wouldn’t start showing up on store shelves of local carriers until March 23rd. Whether an international or global launch will happen at that point remains to be seen (B&H once let loose a March 25th date for those of us in the States), but if the phone is primed for one market then it should be good to go in many more.

We’ll try to get a more pointed release date as it pertains to everyone not in Taiwan, so sit tight (unless, of course, you’ll be fortunate enough to be in the nation next week and buy one for yourself). In the meantime get a good look at what to expect from our hands-on time with the device from Mobile World Congress last week.

[via Digitimes]