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]

Chrome for Android 42 adds website notifications

Those who prefer to fool around with the beta release of Chrome have already been treated to these features, but for everyone else some great new features have arrived to Google’s mobile web browser. Chrome for Android 42 is out, and it brings a big new feature.

On tap is a new system that allows properly-coded websites to send notifications straight to your phone whenever new content is available. This sort of functionality is typically only available from native applications, so the ability to get them through your web browser without having to install anything else is a pretty cool feature.

Other changes include an improved function for adding your favorite sites to your home-screen, as well as your typical bug fixes and performance improvements. It’s all waiting for you at Google Play so give it a go as soon as possible.

[via Google]

Moto G 3rd Gen makes brief appearance on retailer’s website

There’s little doubt Motorola will follow up their widely successful mid-range Moto G (2nd Gen) with a followup this year. Moto CEO Rick Osterloh practically said as much in a tweet last month where he reiterated the company’s rough yearly release cycle. With the Moto G 2nd Gen’s first birthday just a few months away, it’s no surprise that we’d start seeing the first few “leaks” make their way online, no matter how small.

Sure enough, a listing for a the Moto G 3rd Gen popped up on Indian retailer Flipkart’s website although not many details were given. It did, however, reveal a possible model number — AP3560AD1K8 — something you might want to keep a look out for in the future. While it’s possible Flipkart was merely trying to get a head start on Moto G 2015 SEO, the post was immediately taken down after it was discovered.

More than anything, we’re just curious to see how Motorola will improve on the 3rd generation Moto G. The phone already offers a tremendous combination of solid hardware and great performance for an affordable price. If Motorola can finally at 4G LTE, we could see the device become a break out hit in the prepaid market.

[GadgetRAID]

Samsung spills the beans on the Galaxy S6 Active on their own website

When we first let loose word on the existence of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active, more information rolled through like an avalanche. And now even Samsung can’t resist leaking their own plans.

The company’s website for Samsung Plus — their advanced support, rewards and warranty program — is now showing support for the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active. There isn’t any meaningful information tied to the listing except for the fact that it rewards you the same amount of points as if you were to purchase the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.

Curiously enough, the site lists the S6 Active’s release date as April 10th, which we know was the release date for the original models. It seems like an honest mistake by whoever mans these pages within Samsung’s ranks, but for better or worse we know that there’s a Samsung Galaxy S6 Active on the horizon. Let’s hope it won’t take too long for the official details to come to light.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]