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Will Samsung Be The One Making Google’s Next Nexus Device?
So it seems that BGR has claimed their sources have confirmed Samsung to be the next maker of Google’s Nexus device. The previous rumors had suggested LG, and even Motorola at one point. Along with those speculations, they also said that the Nexus 3 will be running on NVidia’s Tegra-3 processor, making it a quad-core device, as well as sporting Google’s latest operating system – Ice Cream Sandwich.
This time, the rumors are saying that the next Google Nexus device will be known as the Nexus Prime, featuring a 720p display which would allow for softkeys rather than physical ones. It is said to run Ice Cream Sandwich as well, which is pretty much a given, since it would just be downright silly for Google’s next Nexus device NOT to run on the latest operating system. It will also apparently feature Samsung’s Super AMOLED display and be powered by Texas Instrument’s OMAP 4460, a dual-core processor that’s not much to shout at.
We’re guessing this is probably just an outright rumor, which seems to contradict the previous rumor, but I guess we will have to wait and see. Personally a quad-core processor does sound like it could be an iPhone 5 killer, or at least give it a run for its money, but another dual-core device? It does seem unlikely.
The Fairphone 2 was first unveiled in June earlier this year, where this particular handset carried a modular design while featuring majority of its components that have been sourced from conflict-free mines. It seems that this particular handset that you can purchase with a clear conscience has begun to ship to those who happen to live across Europe.
Fairphone announced in a blog post, “It’s been almost two years in the making, and some of the earliest buyers have been patiently waiting since July to receive their new phones. As community manager, I want to personally welcome the new batch of Fairphone owners to our community.” The initial 1,000 units are tipped to ship this month, before the other pre-orders follow in January 2016.
In terms of hardware specifications, the Fairphone 2 will run on a Snapdragon 801 chipset, has a 5″ 1080p screen with Gorilla Glass 3 protection, 2GB of RAM, an 8MP camera, with Android 5.1 Lollipop in tow. It will be a dual SIM capable handset with a microSD memory card slot and plays nice with 4G LTE networks, retailing for approximately €525 a pop.
It looks like the upcoming flagship model from Xiaomi will feature NFC support, at least based on a document that was released by China UnionPay. Just in case you are scratching your head and wondering who China UnionPay is, they happen to be the only domestic payment gateway supplier and card organization, and hence, to see them offer detailed support concerning the newly released NFC-based payment system points to the very real possibility of the upcoming Xiaomi Mi 5 featuring NFC capability.
After all, the Xiaomi Mi 3 was also mentioned on the list, which so happens to feature NFC, and there is no mention of the Xiaomi Mi 4 which does not come with NFC. Still, such a new payment system would be the ideal tool to see the reintroduction of NFC to the flagship model.
OnePlus did make an announcement in the previous month that the Ceramic variant of the OnePlus X will be released on November 24. True to their word, they did exactly that – although only a pitiful number of units were made available, and not only that, this was through a charity auction. Thankfully for the rest of the masses who are on the lookout for this device, it has gone on sale officially already.
Needless to say, this particular variant is available only by an invitation, although do bear in mind that standard OnePlus X invites are not good here – you will still need to snag yourself a specific Ceramic variant invite before you make a purchase. OnePlus is also on the lookout to offer additional methods of picking up this smartphone, although no further details were revealed.
The OnePlus X Ceramic will be available only in select markets, where among them include Europe, India, and Hong Kong. To date, we do know that OnePlus had made only 10,000 units of the handset available. A case of the early bird getting the proverbial worm here?