LG K7 and K10 review: The new guys

LG has always been a company that's looked to push the boundaries of innovation. They brought Quad HD displays to smartphones with the LG G3, experimented with the concept of a modular phone with this year's G5, and even showcased a 98-inch 8K TV at CES this year. For a company with these credentials, having an entry-level smartphone lineup consisting of the aging Optimus L5 and L7 phones seems out of character. However, LG has addressed this issue with the two new 4G LTE phones released last week: the K7 and K10.

The new duo is generations ahead of the L series in almost every aspect. The blocky designs have been replaced with smooth 2.5D arc glass in the front and a gentle curve at the back, making the devices appear slimmer and much nicer to hold. Both phones retain LG's signature control layout with power and volume buttons at the back, which has been done away with in the top-end G5. While the devices are made out of plastic, the K7 gets a brushed finish while the K10 has a knotted design for the back panel, aiding looks and grip. At 5 inches and 5.3 inches respectively, both phones are almost similar in size and very easy to handle.

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Engadget giveaway: Win an LG G5 courtesy of Spigen!

With spring upon us, you may have cleaned your house and refreshed your wardrobe, but this week you could also win a fresh new smartphone to brighten up the season. Case and accessory maker Spigen has given us two new LG G5 phones and a selection of five cases for two lucky readers this week. LG's latest handset has a 5.3-inch display, expandable memory and a unique fast-swappable battery feature. To keep this new phone safe, Spigen has included five of its most popular case designs: the Tough Armor, Neo Hybrid, Rugged Armor, Crystal Shell and lastly the Style Armor, which accommodates quick access to the G5's battery without needing to remove the case. Just head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning. You can also find discount codes below to buy Spigen's G5 and S7 Edge cases or even opt to write some reviews in exchange for a few freebies.

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New report outlines one way the iPhone 7 might not match the Galaxy S7

One key component of the Galaxy S7 is Samsung’s ultra-fast universal flash storage (UFS) that’s able to offer better speeds than typical memory solutions used in smartphones and other computers. Based on Samsung’s advanced V-NAND flash memory chips, the UFS storage would significantly improve the iPhone’s performance. A new report says that although Samsung and Apple have inked a storage deal for the first time since the iPhone 5, Samsung’s UFS might not make it into the iPhone until next year.

DON’T MISS: The best Nexus phone of all time could be coming this year

According to South Korea’s ETNews, Samsung will supply NAND flash memory to Apple’s iPhone in the near future. Apparently, Samsung’s memory was dropped from the iPhone supply chain as the Galaxy S device maker failed to agree with Apple’s manufacturing requests..

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Samsung Galaxy Note 6 UK release date, price, new features and specification rumours: Samsung Galaxy Note line to return to the UK in 2016

The Samsung Galaxy Note series is returning to the UK this August with the new Note 6 (SM-N930F), expected to cost around £630 with a new waterproof design, iris scanner, huge 6GB of RAM and (allegedly) brand-new Android N. We round-up the best Samsung Galaxy Note 6 rumours, focusing on the new Note 6 UK release date, price, new features and specifications.
You might also like: Samsung Galaxy Note 5 review, Samsung Galaxy S7 review

When is the Note 6 coming out? Galaxy Note 6 release date rumours

Note 6 release date: August 2016.

Samsung tends to hold an Unpacked event in which it unveils the new Note around the middle of August. The latest we’ve seen a new Note launch is immediately preceding IFA, which this year runs 2-7 September, making a 1 September launch possible. Also see: Samsung Galaxy Note 5 launch.

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Apple's New iPhone to Be All Glass and It Is Not Coming until 2017

Apple recently launched the iPhone SE catering to the 4-inch display lovers and even before we could estimate the new phone's success or the lack of it, the internet is abuzz with rumours about its next flagship.

According to reliable Apple analyst, KGI Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo, the new iPhone would deviate from the norm and come crafted in an all-glass design, dropping the aluminum completely.

The major design change won't be seen in this year's iPhone 7, breaking away from Apple's tick-tock pattern of introducing design changes every other generation, and instead be seen in 2017's iPhone 8, a report on 9to5Mac notes.

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One week with the excellent HTC 10 and I still can’t quite work out why I would buy one

HTC’s recently launched ‘HTC 10’ smartphone is everything on paper that a huge number of smartphone buyers should want.

It’s got an all-metal body and microSD expansion, it has a great camera, and the audio performance is pretty solid too.

Add in that HTC’s worked to cut back on consumer confusion throughout the Android OS and what you have is a leaner, meaner version of HTC’s previous ‘One’ range handsets with a better camera, improved overall performance and some other worthwhile software tweak

And as I said in the initial hands-on, they’re upgrades that make a lot of sense at first glance – and now in more extended testing too.

However, after having the device for nearly a week – and despite it performing admirably in most areas – I’m still not sure who’s going to walk into a phone shop and walk out with an HTC 10.

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HTC may have a winner: HTC 10 second impressions

We don't learn much from unboxings. After all, when I unboxed the HTC 10, what could I really say about it? I hadn't used it yet. This is where second impressions come in, when there's more than first impressions, but not enough to write a full review.

The HTC 10 is an extremely impressive device. It features a completely redesigned, slimmed down Sense interface and a Super LCD5 display that you would swear is AMOLED, judging by how vibrant the colors are.

The body is similar to the previous One models. While it's still a beautiful design and it feels great to hold, this will undoubtedly hold back some, as many were skeptical of last year's One M9 due to the lack of a redesign, even before anyone got to use the handset.

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Samsung Galaxy Note 6 news, rumors: Note 6 codenamed 'Grace'; model numbers revealed for U.S. carriers

A listing leaked online reveals the model numbers for carriers and regions of the Samsung Galaxy Note 6, which is codenamed "Grace" in the post.

As can be seen in the listing, Samsung will use the model number SM-N930 for different markets. Samsung has already simplified model numbers with the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, but now has apparently decided to take things further by designating the model number SM-N930U to all major U.S. carriers — AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, U.S. Cellular, and T-Mobile. The leak also confirms a European version of the phablet.

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Apple Leak Reveals 'All Glass' New iPhone

He’s at it again. KGI Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo (dubbed “the best Apple AAPL -2.02% analyst on the planet”) has dug up new information on Apple’s increasingly controversial iPhone plans and this is perhaps the most radical of the lot…

Picked up by the ever reliable 9to5Mac, Kuo’s new report says Apple will completely redesign the iPhone. Out will go the ranges’ famed aluminium chassis and in its place will be the return of an all-glass enclosure. This will also be complemented by new cutting edge curved OLED display.

The only problem? These changes will come in 2017, not 2016.

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Samsung Galaxy Note 6 Release in UK Soon; Codename Grace

The UK and European market were rather disappointed when the Samsung Galaxy 5 wasn’t released in the region last year. But this time, the company is making it up to the European consumers with the release of the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 with codename “Grace.”

According to iDigitalTimes, the reason why the Galaxy Note 5 was not offered in many European markets including the UK, is that it was targeted for business and productivity-driven markets, while the Galaxy S6 Edge which was available in the region was offered to youthful and fashion-forward markets.


The report continues that latest rumors say that the new phablet model could possibly feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 823 chip. While other speculated features also include water resistance, a USB Type-C port, and an iris scanner. When it comes to the design, the phablet is expected to refine the look off its predecessor but there will be no significant alterations.

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Samsung Galaxy J7, LG Stylo 2 and Kyocera Hydro Reach Launched in the US

Android fans in the United States rejoice, as a couple of handsets powered by Google’s mobile platform have just made their debut in the country: Samsung Galaxy J7, LG Stylo 2 and Kyocera Hydro Reach.

All three smartphones can be purchased via Boost or Virgin Mobile for $230, $180 and $100, respectively. Obviously, these prices do not require you to commit to a long-term contract.

Potential customers who want to know which of these three smartphones would fit their needs should read further. First of all, the most expensive of the three, Samsung Galaxy J7, is also the most powerful.

The Galaxy J7 smartphone will arrive in stock at both carriers mentioned earlier on April 29. The device sports a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display that supports HD (720p) resolution.

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Apple Expects Your iPhone To Expire In Three Years

There is no mythical ‘self-destruct’ chip inside Apple’s hardware, but Cupertino has acknowledged that it believes its hardware has a definitive life span. And the suggested life feels rather on the low side.

A recent update to its environmental policy’s QnA section addresses the question of how long an Apple device is expected to remain in use. Your iPhone’s productive life cycle will be up at the three-year mark, as will the Apple Watch; while your OSX and AppleTV devices will get an extra twelve months to reach the four-year mark. To quote Apple:

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Samsung Galaxy S7 Is Doing What Apple Can No Longer Do

Good news for Samsung (NASDAQOTH:SSNLF) and Android fans. The company's new Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge is a hit. The company recently pre-announced first-quarter earnings, and the results are better than anticipated. Samsung guided to $5.7 billion versus analyst expectations of $4.8 billion in operating income. Samsung also exceeded top-line expectations by guiding for $56.4 billion in revenue, greater than the $56.1 billion analyst consensus.

For investors in the United States, Samsung's consolidated earnings report is of little direct value. The company does list shares on the Gray Markets, the stock symbol above, but the investment is plagued by high bid-ask spreads, and low liquidity.

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The HTC 10: 5 Things We Think We Know

HTC hasn’t had the best few years—so much so that you have to begin wondering how many more years it’s going to be before the mobile division has to fold. But for now, we’re getting a new flagship smartphone in the One line through an announcement on Tuesday.

There have been a handful of rumors and leaks regarding the new HTC One, which looks to be going by the moniker HTC 10. So anticipation of the announcement, here are the five things we think we know so far:

1. The Design

The HTC One has always been a beautiful device. The forthcoming HTC 10 doesn’t make a lot of huge changes to the look of the smartphone, but according to recent leaks, it looks like we’ll be getting a few nips and tucks on the design of it. Most notably, there are new chamfered edges around the body of it that are rather attractive. The HTC 10 is also a bit thinner before and significantly less shiny than the HTC One M9, which was often accused of resembling a kitchen appliance.

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Microsoft Corporation Releases Latest Windows 10 Mobile OS Update For Nokia Lumia Phones

Microsoft Corporation has been a company which has been coming out with a large number of updates and upgrades over the years. The company has been in existence for over 40 years, and over the years it has been one of the most smart, profitable business units of all times. Microsoft, by now has fully realized about what works and what does not work in the markets, and the company has taken turns accordingly. The latest move from the company has been around coming out with the Windows 10 Mobile OS update for the Nokia Lumia users.Windows-10-Mobile-Lumia


Microsoft realizes that the Nokia Lumia users, who were among one of their biggest markets at one point of time, are now feeling rather left out. The company has now updated their Nokia Lumia devices with the latest Windows 10 Mobile OS update. The update was supposed to originally reach them by December 2015, but was delayed thrice before it finally came out in March.

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Apple Loop: iPhone SE's Hidden Profit, PlayStation Arrives On Apple, FBI's Hacking Limits

Taking a look back at another week of news from Cupertino, this week’s Apple Loop includes the iPhone SE selling out, why the SE is really the 5S with a new marketing spin, the latest bugs in iOS 9.3.1., the FBI’s hacking limits, Apple Pay’s increased reach, the Sony PlayStation 4 client for Mac OS, Apple’s Autism awareness video, and Reddit officially arrives on the iPhone.

Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the very many discussions that have happened around Apple over the last seven days (and you can read the weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes).

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Android Circuit: Android Beats Apple, Microsoft's Android Ambitions, S7 Edge Saves Samsung

Taking a look back at seven days of news across the Android world, this week’s Android Circuit includes the Chinese smartphone market moving towards Android, how the Galaxy S7 is saving Samsung, the rise of Marshmallow, Google’s monthly update of bug fixes and patches, BlackBerry’s disappointing sales, OnePlus’s OxygenOS update, Microsoft’s improvements to Cortana for Android, and some new icons from Google Play.

Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android in the last week (and you can find the weekly Apple news digest here).

Chinese Markets Bend Towards Android

The last three months have seen Android gain ground on Apple in the crucial Chinese market (reports Kantar Worldpanel’s data). iOS has seen no growth in its share over the Chinese New Year period, and year-on-year Apple has lost 3.2% share. That has moved over to Android which is up 3.4% and now represents 76.4% of a vital growth market. Natasha Lomas for TechCrunch:

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Sorry, Everyone: The iPhone SE is an apology to big-phone haters everywhere

Here at Ars, one of the things we like to focus on in reviews is new technology. There are a few reasons: new stuff draws readers, new stuff is fast and shiny, and new stuff points the way to where technology is headed.

The thing about the iPhone SE is that there’s basically nothing that’s new about it. It’s a four-year-old phone design filled with six-month-old parts, and it’s the rare product that amounts to exactly the sum of its parts. You could almost write a review of it without laying hands on it.

So we’ll spend a little time with the tech inside, but this review is going to focus primarily on the Big Questions: Who should buy this? Why should they buy it? Who shouldn’t buy it? And where does it fit into Apple’s Grand Plan for the iPhone?

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Samsung Pay sees virtual reality, in-app purchases in the future

Samsung is looking to step up its effort in electronic payments and is considering catching up with Apple in rolling out in-app purchases using its Samsung Pay – as well looking at the potential of paying in virtual reality (VR).

The South Korean electronics giant launched Samsung Pay last year, its answer to Apply Pay which allows users to tap their phones on a reader to pay for anything.

Samsung Pay recently launched in the U.S. and Chinaafter a debut in South Korea. Now the company is considering the next steps to build out the product, which could include loyalty schemes and in-app purchases.

"Gift cards I think provide us with a unique way to provide offers, we have in-app, that is on our road map, online commerce, being able to pay online with Samsung Pay is very important," Nathalie Oestmann, head of Samsung Pay Europe, told CNBC in an interview at the Money 2020 conference on Tuesday.

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iPhone SE seen getting off to a ‘lackluster’ start

Apple’s recently released iPhone SE was supposed to be Apple’s saving grace, a mid-year release designed to help keep iPhone sales somewhat afloat ahead of the iPhone 7. Packed with the same advanced features as the iPhone 6s and affordably priced, it was widely assumed that the iPhone SE would get off to a strong start following its debut on store shelves this past Thursday.

Now it’s no secret that Apple, whenever it records impressive sales figures, likes to put out a press release boasting of how consumers simply can’t get enough of the company’s latest and greatest product. But with the iPhone SE, Monday morning came and went and we haven’t heard a peep from Apple about sales or even demand.

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Samsung’s Good Lock alternate UI gets updated w/ a plethora of bug fixes

“24.0.6 Feedback applied. More feedback will be provided soon,” Samsung says to open up the changelog for a substantial update rolling out for its alternate Good Lock UI today. Besides a less-than-perfect translation, the changelog also features a huge list of much-requested bug fixes and additions. Among other changes, this update adds a swipe gesture to delete in the recent apps view, fixes an issue that caused the SD card to stop working, removal of the permanent location prompt, and more…

In case you’re out of the loop, Good Lock basically gives you a completely revamped user interface on your Galaxy device. The app brings a redesigned lock screen, a new notification shade (which very closely resembles stock Android), some new status bar icons, a unique app multitasking screen, and more.

Here’s the complete change log for version 24.0.6, which comes in at 18.71 MB:

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