Some Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge units shipping with tiny scratches all over the display

When manufacturers churn out hundreds of thousands of devices in order to meet demand, occasionally a bad egg or two makes it past quality control. It’s not uncommon to have one, maybe even a few defective devices slip out when your phone is as popular as say, the Samsung Galaxy S6. So it’s not too surprising to find that some brand new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge customers have discovered some oddities with their shiny new devices, fresh out of the box.

It’s not #bendgate (thankfully), but as highlighted by XDA Developers, a handful of forum members have discovered what appears to be tiny scratches all over their “new” Galaxy S6 Edge displays. It’s a pattern not too unlike the swirl marks you might find on your car’s clear coat. It’s not clear how they got there, or how wide spread the issue is at the moment, but it’s definitely something you wouldn’t expect to find when unwrapping a 0+ piece of tech. The uploader also makes mention of dead pixels being present when the display is turned on.

Keep in mind out-of-the-box defects like this aren’t unique the Galaxy S6 Edge. Even the folks at iFixit found a scratched display on their freshly unwrapped HTC One M9 (complete with a dead pixel). Like any out-of-the-box defects, issues like this should be taken up with the retailer from whence it came, which happens to be T-Mobile who began shipping out the Samsung Galaxy S6 ahead of its April 10th launch date. There was a single report of an international model also arriving in this same condition, but that could be more isolated.

We should note: this defect seems to only affect the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge — not the regular flat Samsung Galaxy S6. In any case, now would be a good time to check your device out under a lamp or direct sunlight. Anyone find something similar on their Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge unit?

[XDA]

LG’s Galaxy Note competitor – the G Stylo – starts shipping this month

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 could come as early as July, and when it does, it’ll have some competition. We’ve heard that LG is cooking up a Galaxy Note competitor and today it’s finally been officially announced: introducing the LG G Stylo (aka LG G4 Stylus) which starts shipping this month:

more pictures coming soon…

Some of the key G4 Stylus specs:

• 1.2GHz Quad-Core (LTE) / 1.4GHz Octa-Core (3G)


• 5.7-inch HD IPS screen (258ppi)


• 1GB RAM / 8GB ROM / microSD


• 13MP camera (some regions to get 8MP)


• 5MP front camera


• 3,000mAh battery (removable)


• Android 5.0 Lollipop


• Size: 154.3 x 79.2 x 9.6mm


• Weight: 163g


• Wi-Fi 802.11 a, b, g, n / Bluetooth 4.1 / NFC / A-GPS / Glonass / USB 2.0


• Colors: Metallic Silver / Floral White

In addition to coming with the new Stylus Pen it will also come with key LG features such as Laser Auto Focus, Gesture Shot, Glance View, and Knock Code.

In an interesting twist of naming fate, LG will call it the LG G4 Stylus globally save for the North American and Korea versions where it will be called “LG G Stylo”:

The G4 Stylus (available as G Stylo in North America and Korea) will be offered in both LTE and 3G configurations in Metallic Silver or Floral White color options. The G4c is an LTE model only and will come in Metallic Gray, Ceramic White and Shiny Gold.

LG also announced the LG G4c – with the “c” standing for “Compact” – offering an easier to wield alternative to the LG G4 for those with smaller hands and/or different preferences. Sitting in a 5-inch frame the LG G4c rocks 1.GHz Quad core processor, 1GB RAM, 8MP camera, and 5MP selfie cam.

Both of these devices will begin shipping to retailers immediately but it’s not clear when they’ll be available to consumers through carriers and retail partners:

Both smartphones will begin shipping to retailers around the world in the next several weeks and throughout the month of May.

If you thought your decision was already tough between the LG G4, Samsung Galaxy S6, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, and HTC One M9, you may want to reserve some time for some smartphone soul searching… this is going to be a toughie.

LG G4 begins shipping this week

Though specific details are sparse, LG has announced that the LG G4 will begin shipping this week. That means decision times are near for smartphone fans trying to decide between the Samsung Galaxy S6 (review), HTC One M9 (review), and LG G4 (review).

Here is the vague rollout plan just unveiled by LG:

LG G4 will begin rolling out this week to consumers in key markets around the world, continuing throughout the month into June and beyond as more retailers and operators see what LG G4 has to offer their customers. Starting in Hong Kong, the G4 will follow with rollouts in Turkey, Russia and Singapore, eventually including most of Europe, North America, CIS, Southeast Asia, Middle East/Africa and South/Central America. Approximately 180 carriers and retails are already on board as G4 partners.

We’re still left without the specific LG G4 price details as the company has left that up to carriers in each region.

Now that we know the G4’s official launch will likely come to every market before the month of July, will be one of the customers waiting patiently for it to arrive in your locality?

T-Mobile LG G4 begins shipping tomorrow with a free 128GB microSD card

T-Mobile has confirmed that they will begin taking orders for the LG G4 online tomorrow, and that the flagship phone will be ready to ship as soon as you confirm your order. This is about a week ahead of its expected June 3rd in-store availability, so this may be the quicker option for you to get your hands on it if you don’t want to wait any longer.

The LG G4 has proven to be a pretty stoic competitor for 2015, with an exceptional camera, good design and great performance being the driving forces behind the much-earned excitement of future owners. You can read our LG G4 review if you’re wondering whether it’s worth its skin.

The phone will cost down and .99 monthly payments over 24 months, or 9.76 if you decide you want to go without a contract. That very reasonable price tag comes with an added 128GB microSD card for no extra cost, but only while supplies last. Not a bad deal at all, we’d say. Let us know if you’ll be picking one up once checkout goes live.

[via T-Mobile]

Nexus Player sees price drop on Google Store, now only $80 with free shipping

We’re barely a few days away from Google I/O and related or not, the ASUS-made Nexus player is now officially been marked down to in the Google Store (that’s about off from the original price). It’s not a bad deal, but still about more expensive than the recent markdown on Amazon. Of course, the Nexus Player on the Google Store comes with free shipping, so that’s something you may want to factor into pricing. Not sure how long this will last (it very well could be permanent), but if you prefer to make your purchases with Google, have at it.

[Nexus Player on Google Store]

Spigen sale brings massive discounts on Nexus 6 cases, free US shipping [DEALS]

If you’ve been keeping up with the Mobile Roar Podcast, you’ve know I’ve been meaning to trade in my DROID Turbo for a big ‘ol honkin’ Nexus 6. Any time you get a new phone, a case is almost always mandatory. It’s a good thing a buddy of mine turned me on to this amazing deal.

Spigen’s got a sale going on where they’ve drastically marked down some of their best cases for the Nexus 6. Pretty much their entire lineup has been marked down by as much as 83%. Yeah, it’s a lot. There’s plenty of options to choose from too, whether you’re looking for a thicker Slim Armor case with kickstand, or a little lighter protection like the Thin Fit (my personal favorite).

If you or someone else you know has a Nexus 6 in need of some protection, hit up Spigen’s sale down below. We’re not sure how much longer it’ll last.

[Spigen]

Thanks, Yoshi!