Take a look at the entire Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge user manuals ahead of launch day

We take user manuals for granted these days. Most devices come with small tutorials to show you the basics, and then leave you off to explore your new toy with glee.

But if you’re the type who likes the informative literature that’ll show you the ins and outs of your device before using it, then you’ll be happy to know that the manual accompanying some of 2015’s most anticipated phones — the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge — is already available for your viewing pleasure.

We’ve already given you an in-depth look at all the exciting new stuff the Galaxy S6 devices have to offer such as an improved fingerprint scanner, an awesome camera, and — in the case of the Edge variant — some great new display features. You’ve even already gotten a full unboxing experience. Now it’s time to get the rest and take your pre-launch hype experience full circle.

AndroidForums.com has the guides — Samsung Galaxy S6 user manual is here, while the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge user manual is right here — as well as all the great discussion you can handle to get yourself prepared for the device’s launch this April.

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.

Asus ZenWatch 2 will reportedly launch next year in two sizes

The Asus ZenWatch surprised a lot of people as one of the best Android Wear devices of 2014. It was one of the more attractive square watches and very affordable. What will Asus do to follow the success? We’ll have to wait a bit longer to find out.

Asus CEO jerry Shen reportedly told NDTV Gadgets that they are working on a new smartwatch, but they don’t plan to launch the ZenWatch 2 in 2015. However, he didn’t say it won’t be announced, so hopefully we’ll hear something about it before the calendar flips to 2016. Shen also revealed that the watch will come in two different sizes for men and women, similar to the Apple Watch.

There will be many new smartwatches announced before the end of the year. Hopefully Asus doesn’t fall too far behind by waiting until next year. What did you think about the Asus ZenWatch? Are you interested in the ZenWatch 2, or is that too long to wait?

 

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!

A higher-end LG G4 Note will launch with a metal body, not the LG G4 [RUMOR]

It was a little over 2 weeks ago we got a good look at the LG G4 in a few alleged press shots of the device. Like a slightly smaller version of the LG G Flex 2, the phone featured a curved LED display while keeping to LG’s current design language. One of the more interesting parts about rumors of the device is that it would it would feature a metal body — a first for LG on their flagship line. We’re not talking about that faux metal finish of the LG G3 either.

It was an interesting prospect and while plastic definitely has its merits, consumers really seem to have taken a liking to the premium feel of all metal phones like the iPhone 6 or recently announced HTC One M9 (Samsung added a dash of metal in the Galaxy S6 as well). Guess people like to feel like they got their money’s worth when they drop a several bills down on a new phone.

Well, hopefully those metal LG G4 rumors didn’t get your hopes up too much, as ZDNet Korea is now reporting that because of manufacturing and time constraints, LG simply wont have enough time to build a metal LG G4 if they hope to get it to market in a timely manner. Instead, LG will introduce a new even higher-end smartphone line, dubbed the LG G4 Note, that features an all metal construction. While not much is known about the new Note series, LG was quoted as saying it would launch during the second half of this year and “stand above” the G series.

LG definitely has their work cutout for them. With the HTC One M9 and Samsung Galaxy S6 launching April 10th, they’ll need to act fast before their competition gains too much ground. Luckily for them, early battery life reports of these devices left plenty of room for improvement, something we’re hoping LG will hone in on with the G4.

[ZDNet Korea (translated) | via GforGames]

LG changed their mind, will launch the quirky LG AKA outside of South Korea starting next week

Originally designed exclusively for South Korea, LG has announced that they’ll soon be bringing their quirky AKA line to new markets, starting first in Hong Kong. The phones definitely have personality, something we never thought we’d say about a smartphone. Each LG AKA features a different character that peeks out from the top of their own accessories, showing off their own unique personas. There’s 4 characters total, which LG describes as:

• Eggy (yellow) who falls frequently in love


• Wooky (white) ever-so-impulsive


• Soul (navy) music lover with a soft-heart


• Yo-Yo (pink) who is always on a diet

It’s more than just cartoon eyes and cases, with the characters woven into the phone’s wallpapers, ringtones, and widgets. With soon to be global release of the device, LG has also added something they’re calling an “emotional UX element.” Essentially, users can further customize their AKA’s eyes with glasses or different eyebrows. They’ll even be including stickers and an “Art Toy” figurine which can be digitized by snapping a picture of it, then adding it to selfies or other photos taken by the phone.

The phone isn’t a high-end powerhouse, but it isn’t exactly low-end either, with the same laser auto focus found on the LG G3, as well as LG’s touch & shoot and gesture shot camera features. Here’s everything you’ll find in the LG AKA:

LG AKA specs

• 1.2GHz quad-core processor


• 5-inch HD IPS display


• 16GB internal / 1.5GB RAM / microSD slot


• 8MP rear camera with Laser Auto Focus / 2.1MP front facing


• 2,610mAh (removable)


• Android 4.4 KitKat


• 138.7 x 71.9 x 9.9mm


• 135.5g (without font slide cover) / 157g (with front slide cover)


• 4G LTE connectivity


• Wi-Fi / Bluetooth 4.0 / NFC / A-GPS / USB 2.0

The LG AKA was first introduced in South Korea towards the end of 2014, where it would later receive an iF Design Award for it’s quirky design. Apparently, customer feedback and sales have been so good, that LG decided to bring launch it elsewhere. The LG AKA will be launching in Hong Kong next week, then soon China, Taiwan, Singapore, and eventually Turkey. LG said they’ll announce new markets once they’re ready.

Google’s Sundar Pichai confirms plans to launch an MVNO wireless carrier and their motive behind it

Before we had our bit of morning fun over at the Android booth, Google’s Sundar Pichai — who heads the Chrome and Android teams — took to the stage at the Mobile World Congress opening keynote. The full talk was quite interesting and chock full of discussion about the now and the future.

Most of what you care about is in the future. Thankfully Pichai confirmed a few different rumors we’d been hearing since 2014 and earlier. The biggest confirmation was that Google certainly is exploring opportunities to introduce a new wireless service that leverages WiFi technology to facilitate ultra affordable mobile service.

Google’s not trying to become the next Verizon, nor do they expect to. Instead, the company will look to work with those carriers in an effort to help push connectivity and network stability forward.

Solving issues like seamless hand-offs between WiFi and cellular and the ability to have two calls automatically reconnect in the event of a drop are just a couple of the things Google wants to explore in their venture. We know it’s not purely about money — Google’s revenue stream is healthy enough as is — so we know their motives are fueled by their never-ending desire to innovate.

Google didn’t confirm who they’d be working with to get this off the ground (rumors suggest Sprint and T-Mobile are likely candidates), but the company will hopefully have more formal details to share at Google I/O later this year.

Huawei schedules an event for April 15th to launch next smartphone

As we’ve noted in the past, Huawei is so hot right now. They showed off a beautiful Android Wear smartwatch, and their name is being tossed around for the next Nexus. People might not be able to say their name correctly, but they are definitely paying attention to Huawei. So what’s next?

Huawei is sending out invites for an event in London on April 15th. They’re expected to show off a successor to the Huawei Ascend P7. We’re not sure what market this device will be for, but Huawei does say it’s a “global product launch.” It’s also possible we could hear more information about the Huawei Watch and other devices. Hopefully they have something for us here in the U.S.

How do you feel about Huawei lately? Are you feeling the hype around their devices? Do you want a Huawei device?

Alcatel’s Hero 2+ phablet is the latest phone to launch with Cyanogen OS

Alcatel might not be the most exciting name in all the mobile lands, but their latest phone gives us reason to pay attention. It’s the Hero 2+, a 6-inch phablet that will find its way onto the market with the following specs:

• Display: 6-inch Full HD (1080 x 1920) TFT 16M color display + built in stylus


• Processor: MT6592 2.0 GHz octa-core ARM Cortex-A7 processor


• Camera: 13MP main camera + 5MP front camera for the perfect selfie


• Video Capture: Full HD 1080p 30 frame per second video capture so you never miss any of life’s moments


• Memory/Storage: 2GB RAM / 16GB of storage (Expandable to 32GB via MicroSD)


• Dimensions: 160.5mm x 81.6mm x 7.9mm

All of that hardware is used to run Cyanogen OS as this is the latest phone to launch with the grassroots ROM by default. Unfortunately it’ll ship with Cyanogen OS 11S, a KitKat distribution, but we’re sure Cyanogen OS 12 — the one with Lollipop — will be along shortly after release.

“We’ve joined forces with ALCATEL ONETOUCH to push the limits of what a great user experience looks like, beginning with their latest phablet for North America – HERO 2+,” said Vikram Natarajan, Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships and Distribution for Cyanogen. “Our partnership is reflective of our deep commitment to driving innovation and meaningful differentiation for users; with enhanced privacy and security features.”

The device is said to be a North American exclusive, and will be available from Alcatel’s Amazon store starting at 9. It ships Q2 2015 so there won’t be a long wait if you’re interested in something like this over, say, the OnePlus One.

Hearthstone’s Blackrock Mountain expansion will launch April 2nd

Blizzard has announced that their highly-anticipated expansion pack for popular card game Hearthstone — dubbed Blackrock Mountain — will officially launch April 2nd. The previous launch window given was simply “next month” so we weren’t expecting it so soon after the calendar turns.

Blackrock Mountain will be handled similarly to Hearthstone’s first expansion Curse of Naxxramas. Cards will be released in the form of weekly “wings” where you will face a horde of enemies and bosses to unlock new cards.

There will be 5 wings total, and the new card count sits at a comfortable 31. Each wing costs .99, but those who don’t mind parting ways with in-game gold can also buy them for 700g. There’s also the option of preordering the entire lot for .99, a move that will net you an exclusive Blackrock-themed card back.

Blackrock Mountain centers around the neverending struggle between Dragons and the other fiery evils that claim the volcano as their home, all the while disturbing the covenant of dwarfs in the taverns throughout. As such, the Dragon card classification will get a vast majority of the attention here as Blizzard looks to add new cards to that pool and create a lot more synergy for those who prefer to play them.

Sounds like an exciting change of pace that should affect the meta in a big way once all the cards are made available. Be sure to download Hearthstone for your Android tablet right here (it’s free to play) if you aren’t already addicted.

LG planning to launch a device on a tier higher than the LG G4

We expected the LG G4 to be the cream of LG’s crop whenever they decide to reveal it later this year, but new reports suggest that won’t be the case this time around. Korean Press has heard directly from LG executives that the company is planning to launch a smartphone in the second half of this year that’s to be regarded more high-end than their forthcoming flagship.

“We are planning to release a product that stands above the G series,” said Cho Jun-ho, who heads LG’s mobile business in a surprise move at the Mobile World Congress that runs in Barcelona, Spain, through Thursday. “It will be launched during the second half of this year.”

That’s all the info we get for now, but it’s not unusual for a company to release a specialized device with more bells and whistles than what is considered their high-end offering.

Samsung has done the same with the Samsung Galaxy Note line up to this point, with that particular phone usually being a driving force for new features, ideas and better performance that will eventually find their way into the next year’s iteration of the Samsung Galaxy S. We saw this most recently with the Note line getting an Edge variant before Samsung introduced the display innovation inside the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.

We’re not sure what sort of cool stuff LG will look to try with this supposed smartphone, but considering we already expect the LG G4 to blow us away then there’s reason to get excited for its eventual reveal. In the meantime, we’re just hoping LG won’t take long to announce their next major smartphone.

ASUS ZenWatch 2 launch is still on for Q3 2015, says company

It wasn’t long ago we’d heard ASUS was putting the ZenWatch 2 launch off until 2016, but the company says the original comments that spawned the story seem to have been misunderstood. ASUS has confirmed that their originally-planned Q3 launch window was still in effect, according to Focus Taiwan.

We still don’t know what to expect from the smartwatch, though past comments by ASUS suggest they were targeting an insane battery life of up to 7 days (though current tests are coming in at just under 4 hours, which is still quite good for a smartwatch’s standard). We were also told to expect two different sizes to fit different tastes.

We imagine whatever they come up with will have to be as premium as they come, as the trend for wearables seems to be emphasizing fashionable taste as much as practical usability. That said, we’d argue there’s no need to worry as the original ASUS ZenWatch look quite good for a first generation smartwatch.

Oculus Rift consumer launch confirmed for Q1 2016, pre-sale later this year

The folks at Oculus Rift have confirmed a final shipping window for the consumer edition of their virtual reality headset. It’ll be out at some point in Q1 2016, with pre-sales for the device commencing this Wednesday, they’ve announced.

With that, the company released some final renders of what the consumer product will look like once it touches ground next year. You’ll find that it’s a refined version of the Crescent Bay prototype that they’ve been worked on largely throughout its entire development, which is great considering that design was already pretty slick.

Developers have had their hands dipped in the Oculus Rift SDK for quite some time now, and the company has assured us that the earliest efforts will be showcased at their big E3 showing next month.

While other companies have already started introducing viable virtual reality solutions — either through the use of smartphone-augmented units like the Samsung Gear VR or standalone goodness such as HTC’s Re Vive — but Oculus Rift still seems poised to present one of the most ambitious consumer-ready virtual reality experiences to date. We’ll have to wait until June to find out what, exactly, they’re looking to do to make that happen.

[via Oculus Rift]

LG planning to launch a second flagship smartphone in 2015

Samsung won’t be the only South Korean company to launch two flagship smartphones this year. Focus Taiwan reports that LG is looking to introduce another flagship device in the second half of 2015.

This follows the launch of two very nice smartphones in the LG G Flex 2 and LG G4, as well as an assortment of mid-range and entry-level options to fill out the market. It isn’t all that strange to hear that the company isn’t satisfied with the size of their current 2015 roster.

Much of their motivation comes from the success of the strategy last year, when the LG G3 and LG G Pro 2 combined to drive some of LG’s best smartphone sales in the company’s history. With the LG G4 being a sizable upgrade over yesteryear’s option (read our LG G4 review to find out how) there’s no reason to suggest they can’t follow-up with an encore performance.

LG G4 could launch on June 2nd according to an official (now deleted) tweet

LG and T-Mobile are teaming up to take the recently announced — but still unavailable stateside — LG G4 on a tour bus, hitting up multiple cities across the good ‘ol US of A. This cross country tour even has its own dedicated Twitter account run by T-Mobile (@G4Preview) which basically announces where they’re headed next, and tweets out photos of lucky G4 winners.

While neither LG or T-Mobile are willing to provide a launch date, the aforementioned G4 Preview Tour Twitter account may have revealed its expected launch date. In response to an inquiry from one Twitter user, the T-Mobile account said that the LG G4 will be in stores Tuesday, June 2nd.

The tweet has since been deleted, and it’s interesting that the response was to someone asking about AT&T availability — not T-Mobile. Although all major US carriers have committed to offering the LG G4 on the network when it does launch, nobody is offering up any details outside of preregistering for the device.

[9to5Google]

You can now sign up to trial the LG G4 ahead of its US launch

LG’s cool trial program for the LG G4 is headed to the United States, and folks interested in trying it out can now apply to be among the first testers. This trial program will net you a loaner of the phone weeks ahead of its retail launch.

Not only will you have the latest and greatest before everyone else, but you’ll be helping to test LG’s software and give feedback in order to ensure the wide scale launch goes down smoothly.

Want to sign up? Simply head right here and fill in all the details LG’s asking for. Note that signing up doesn’t guarantee you a spot as they’re obviously extremely limited, but your name will definitely be in the hat and if you’re lucky you’ll soon have an LG G4 to tote around while the rest of the world waits. Who’s in?

Mobile Roar 93: Frozen phones, LG G4 launch date, Asus Zenfone 2, and more!

It’s always a good episode when something crazy happens to Chris. This week he accidentally left his DROID Turbo in the freezer overnight. We also discuss our first phones and something eerily familiar about the Samsung Captivate. Other topics include the ASUS ZenFone 2, LG G4 launch date, Mad Men finale, The Witcher 3, and much more! Thanks for watching/listening!

Big News

• The Samsung Captive and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge look a lot alike


• Chris left his DROID Turbo in the freezer

Quick Hits

• Android Phone Rankings


• YotaPhone 2 is now available via Indiegogo


• ASUS Zenfone 2


• LG G4 may launch early June


• Spotify update will sync music to your running; videos and podcasts


• LG returns to Windows Phone with LG Lancet for Verizon

Wins/Fails

• Joe: Mad Men / Korea clock on G4


• Chris:  Google Photos IO debut / Android Wear 5.1.1 rollout


• Ashley: The Witcher 3 /

App Picks

• Joe: Microsoft Hyperlapse


• Chris: Notifidgets


• Ashley: Knights of Pen and Paper 2

Follow Us

• Joe Fedewa (@tallshmo)


• Chris Chavez (@gamercore)


• Ashley King (@overlordror)


• @mobileroarcast

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Google to launch Kid-friendly Android App section at Google IO on May 28th

According to an e-mail sent to Android developers, Google is urging companies to submit their applications into the family-friendly version of the Google Play Store by May 28th. Considering May 28th is also the first day of Google IO 2015 – Google’s annual and highly anticipated development conference – you can expect this major development will be celebrated on stage during the company’s key note speech.

The program has previously been announced as “Designed for Families” and although Google has made the program official, we’re not pretty confident to learn of the anticipated launch date.

At one point in time Google was completely hands-off when it came to approving and monitoring apps, but as the Android ecosystem has grown, it’s become a logistical and legal necessity. Creating an app and game environment that kids, parents, and family members of all ages can visit, together, with the confidence in the content will perhaps be Google’s biggest app curation success to date. However, should sneaky devs adult-related wares or inappropriate Easter eggs, we could also see those eggs end up right on Google’s face.

But let’s be honest: right now anything is better than nothing and Google’s efforts are certainly admirable. Alternatives out there exist such as Samsung’s “Kid Mode” and 3rd party app stores on devices like the Nabi Tab, but this is an undertaking of much greater proportions.

How many parents are out there? Have you been long-awaiting a “kid-friendly” mode that ensures your children can use your Android tablet with free reign without worrying what their prying eyes might find?

Stand-alone Google Photos readies for launch, could be unveiled at Google I/O 2015 [RUMOR]

There are few things that we’re looking forward to more than the break up of Google+ and Photos in an all new standalone backup/editing solution for Android. Known as Google Photos, it’s been heavily rumored for what feels like ever now, only recently confirmed by Google execs during various talks.

Today, Bloomberg is reporting that Google Photos is just about ready to go live, with an official debut happening during this year’s Google I/O developer conference. Aside from just backing up photos and giving users access to near professional grade editing tools, Google Photos will allow users to publish their images directly to social networks like Twitter and Facebook.

Google, of course, wouldn’t comment on these latest rumors, but it only makes sense. Google typically reveals new features not only coming to Android, but their web services like Google+. With former Google+ head Vic Gundotra gracefully bowing out, it’s entirely possible we’ll see less Google+ and arguably funner stuff than just social networking.