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.

Speed Test: Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge vs iPhone 6 Plus boot time [VIDEO]

There has been a lot of talk about the speed improvements in the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. We already compared speed of the Galaxy S6 to the Samsung Galaxy S5, and we compared the speed of TouchWiz with Android 5.0 Lollipop. Now, thanks to some help from a friend, we can compare the boot times.

In the video above you can see the boot times of the Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S5, and iPhone 6 Plus. After pressing the power buttons at the same time they all boot up very quickly. The Galaxy S5 actually finishes just a split second faster than the Galaxy S6 Edge, followed by the iPhone just a second or two later. It’s a close race, but we’re a little surprised the Edge didn’t win.

This doesn’t mean the Edge is slow by any stretch of the imagination. In our previous speed tests the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge outperformed the Galaxy S5. The power button the Edge could have been pressed just slightly later. At the end of the day it’s just boot time, and the Galaxy S6 Edge has more speed where it counts. How do you feel about this boot time speed test?

Pick up a discounted Moto X (2nd Gen) for only $360 plus 30% off accessories for a limited time [DEALS]

If you were waiting to pull the trigger on the still very capable Motorola Moto X 2014, the phone is seeing a discount — yes, on April Fool’s Day — to 0 for a limited time.

Motorola has these deals from time to time, which is likely an effort by them to help clear out some stock and increase some demand for a phone going head-to-head with this year’s rival flagships. At 0 for the base-model, that’s a 0 off which isn’t a bad deal by any stretch. When customized on Motorola’s site, the Moto X offers quite a few upgrades, things like 64GB internal storage boost, or leather and wood backed trims. These are all offered at a premium, so if nothing else, you can get use that discount to get a fully decked out Moto X (2nd Gen).

They’ve also got their accessories marked down by 30% when purchased at the same time as the phone, but only if you buy everything before April 2nd 10:59AM CT. Oh, and for everything you buy, shipping is free.

You’ll need to request a promo code from Motorola if you’d like to get the discount on the phone and it won’t expire until April 15th. If nothing else, grab the discount code and mull things over until then. You can sign up for discount here.

[Motorola]

Cover your Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge from accidental damage with Samsung’s Protection Plus Mobile Elite plans

The Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge may come outfitted with Gorilla Glass 4 on the front and back, but that doesn’t mean the devices are indestructible. In fact, we’ve seen enough “drop tests” around YouTube to know that just one drop could potentially shatter the front or back if landed just right.

It’s definitely not “Uh Oh protection,” but if you’re willing to shell out a few extra dollars, you can protect your shiny new investment from accidental damages with Samsung’s Protection Plus Mobile Elite plans. The plan costs for the regular S6, and 0 for the S6 Edge. It covers all accidental damage for 2 years (up to 3 claims) and for every time you bring them a broken S6, you’ll still have to pay a deductible: for the regular S6, and for the S6 Edge. It doesn’t match Sony’s 2-year accidental damage plan with deductible, but it’s still better than paying an extra 0 should your phone wind up in the bottom of a pool somewhere.

Most of you worried about this kind of thing probably already have insurance through your carrier, but for those that bought the phone unlocked or off-contract, it’s a nice option. Keep in mind for your S6 to be eligible for Protection Plus Mobile Elite, you only have 30 days from the date of purchase to pick up the insurance. Also, the S6 has to be purchased from an “authorized” Samsung retailer or wireless carrier. For more details, check out Samsung’s page here.

Samsung Protection Plus Mobile Elite: Samsung Galaxy S6 | Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

Yes, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is as bendable as the iPhone 6 Plus [VIDEO]

#bendgate may have happened over six months ago, but we’re still seeing the ramifications. Now when a new phone is released everyone rushes to test whether or not it bends. The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge has a display that bends around the edges, but SquareTrade set out to test a different type of bend.

SquareTrade is the company that provides protection plans for all sorts of electronic devices. Naturally, they want to know which devices are more likely to break. Their latest test put the iPhone 6 Plus, Galaxy S6 Edge, and HTC One M9 up against a hydraulic press to see which device bends the most.

The HTC One M9 came out on top, withstanding 120 pounds of pressure before bending. The Galaxy S6 Edge managed to withstand 110 pounds of force, which was coincidentally the same amount as the iPhone 6 Plus. Insert joke about Samsung copying Apple here. However, since the edges of the S6 Edge are curved, the glass cracked earlier than the other devices.

The moral of the story is that basically all phones can bend in extreme circumstances. If you want a phone that can bend without breaking check out the LG G Flex 2. What do you think about this test?

OPPO reveals the R7 Plus alongside the R7

OPPO has just revealed that their upcoming R7 smartphone will debut with a larger brother, the R7 Plus. The Oppo R7 Plus features the same full metal unibody design as found on the R7 and includes the same 2.5D glass with near edge-to-edge display. The Oppo R7 Plus will also sport on-screen keys, something never seen before in OPPO smartphones and the R7 Plus comes equipped with a rear fingerprint reader, which will most likely unlock the phone in the same manner as the Oppo N3.

And that’s all we know for now Android fans. The OPPO R7 Plus came as a complete surprise, but has this Android fan extremely excited. I absolutely love OPPO hardware, but capacitive physical buttons have always been one of my pet peeves with the company’s offerings in the past.

The OPPO R7 and R7 Plus are set to debut on May 20th in Beijing and we’ll be there for the full reveal. What do you think of OPPO’s latest? Let us know in the comments.

We’re live at OPPO’s 10 year celebration event, here comes the R7 and R7 Plus

We’re live here on the ground floor of the AOYA Exhibition Center in beautiful Beijing, China to celebrate a decade worth of products from OPPO. It all started with the OPPO X3 MP3 player back in 2005 and the saga continues today with the announcement of the Oppo R7 and R7 Plus. Stay tuned to Phandroid for all things OPPO as we get our first look at their latest addition to the Android world.

Want to watch from the event from comfort of your own home? Tune in right here.

Oppo R7 and Oppo R7 Plus officially unveiled with full metal unibody design

Oppo sat a bunch of us tech journos down in a nice Beijing hall earlier today and revealed what you see above — it’s the Oppo R7 and Oppo R7 Plus. These are perhaps the most compelling smartphones we’ve seen from Oppo yet as they’ve gone great lengths to ensure the devices’ premium status.

One of the ways they did that was by making them full metal unibody designs, which isn’t a feat unique to them but certainly an important distinction if they want major attention in 2015. Oppo is also using 2.5D curved glass to make for a natural curve at the edges of the device.

So, what about the specs themselves? Here’s what you can expect from the base Oppo R7:

• 5-inch AMOLED 1080p display


• 1.5GHz 8-core Qualcomm chipset (MSM8939)


• 2,320mAh battery with VOOC fast charging (non-removable)


• 3GB of RAM


• 16GB of internal storage


• 13 megapixel rear camera, 8 megapixel front camera

The Plus variant shares much of the same specs, though the display size is bumped to 6 inches and there’s a bigger 4,100mAh battery inside. You’ll also get a bump in base storage to 32GB by opting for the bigger model.

We should also note that while the cameras enjoy the same megapixel count, the R7 uses a 3M2 sensor while the R7 Plus uses Sony’s IMX278 and has the added benefit of getting laser-assisted autofocus. We’re not sure if that’ll make a huge difference in terms of picture quality but we’ll certainly be looking to find out.

One other final difference worth noting is that the R7 launches with KitKat while the R7 Plus will come with Lollipop from the go. There shouldn’t be much reason to worry, though, as Oppo promises a full upgrade to Lollipop for the base R7 model down the line.

Unfortunately Oppo didn’t have much in the way of pricing and availability at the ready, but if they’re hoping to get this thing into the public’s eye before the summer smartphone wars heat up then we’re sure it won’t be long. Stay tuned for our continued coverage of the launch of the Oppo R7 live from Beijing, including hands-on and first impressions!

Download: AdBlock Plus releases an ad-blocking browser app for Android

AdBlock has never been in the browser business beyond providing plugins to help you get rid of ads, but the company is breaking the mold with their latest app. They have released a beta version of AdBlock Browser for Android.

The premise and promise are simple: you browse the web, except you do so without any ads mucking up the experience. Early usage reports suggest it’s just as fast and capable at browsing the modern mobile web as Google Chrome and Firefox Mobile, so there shouldn’t be any qualms using it if you value it for its ability to block ads.

So how can you get it on your phone? AdBlock has provided a direct download to the app through their Google+ community while they await Google’s green light on putting it up in the Google Play Store as an opt-in beta app.

As such, all you’ll need to do is make sure you enable the ability to install third-party applications on your phone, and install the app like you would any other. They even have a handy QR code to take you straight to the download on your phone so you won’t have to deal with wonky file transfers. Be sure to give it a try!

Leaked Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge Plus cases confirm upcoming design

Samsung is gearing up to launch XL versions of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. Better known as the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, it’s now being rumored that the Edge version could go by the name Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ (Plus) according to a recent trademark filing. We know, it’s a tad confusing and if there was any doubt that these devices would essentially look like bigger versions of the regular S6/Edge, freshly leaked case photos — and even a CAD render — are giving us a look at that now familiar S6 design.

Both cases look almost identical to the regular-sized S6 and S6 Edge, only you’ll notice small cutouts on the Note 5 case (bottom 2 images) for the included S Pen. The images come from MobileDirect, a Romanian accessory maker who’s accurately leaked devices in the past.

Right now, rumors point to the Galaxy Note 5 as coming equipped with a 5.98-inch 4K Quad HD display, Exynos 7422 processor, USB Type-C port, and a beefy 4,100mAh battery. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S6 Edge+ will be much smaller with a 5.5-inch screen, Snapdragon 808 processor, and 16MP rear/5MP front facing cameras. We’re still not sure when Samsung plans on making the devices official, but if history has taught us anything, we expect both of them to be revealed during IFA in September.

[USPTO | @OnLeaks | PhoneArena]