Google sets September 29 event, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P expected

Google has officially announced its Fall event, sending out invites for an event on September 29 in San Francisco. The invite just says "some tasty new treats and much s’more". Expected at the event is the launch of new Nexus devices and the new Chromecast.

This time there will be two Nexus devices, one made by LG and the other Huawei. A new leak reveals the name of these devices, the LG made Nexus is said to be called LG 5X and the Huawei made Nexus will be called Nexus 6P.

LG Nexus 5X and Huawei Nexus 6P is likey to run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow, as they are the platform lead devices. They will also have fingerprint sensors and USB Type-C port, both features now support Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Rumors and speculations points out that the LG Nexus 5X will have a 5.2-inch Quad HD display, Snapdragon 808 SoC, Adreno 418 GPU, 3GB LPDDR3 RAM, 13-megapixel main camera with Sony IMX278 sensor, 5-megapixel front shooter and a 2700mAh battery. LG Nexus 5X is said to be more expensive than the original Nexus 5. It is expected to be priced at $399 (Rs. 26,500) for the base model (16GB) and $449 (33,000) for the 32GB.

While the Huawei Nexus 6P will sport a 5.7-inch QHD display, Snapdragon 810 MSM8994 SoC, 12-megapixel rear camera, 8-megapixel front facing camera and front facing speakers.

As for the new Chromecast, it will have a new design. Now it will sport a balloon like design and support faster dual-band WiFi 802.11 ac, Fast Play and a new Chromecast feature. It will also bring support for Spotify.

The Google Nexus event starts at 9:00 AM PT (9:30 PM) on September 29t, Tuesday. Google will also offer live stream on their YouTube channel.

Microsoft sets October 6 event for Windows 10 Devices

Microsoft has sent out invites for an event scheduled for October 6 in New York city where it promises to unveil "the next stage of Windows 10 devices.". The invite states simply, “We have some exciting news to share about Windows 10 devices.”

While there is no mention of what Windows 10 devices to expect in the event, the company is said to be introducing Lumia flagship device, the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL. Also we can expect the announcement of Surface 4 Pro tablet and Microsoft Band 2. 

Here's what the flagship devices are expected to offer-

Possible specs of Lumia 950

• Matte White or black polycarbonate body
• 5.2 inch WQHD (1440x2560) OLED display
• Snapdragon 808, 64-bit Hexa core
• Iris scanner (infrared) for Windows Hello
• 3GB of RAM
• 32GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot
• 20MP PureView rear camera
• 5MP Wide-angle front facing camera
• 3000 mAh removable battery
• Qi wireless charging with flip cover
• USB Type-C

Possible specs of Cityman Lumia 950 XL

• Matte White or black polycarbonate body
• 5.7 inch WQHD (1440x2560) OLED display
• Snapdragon 810, 64-bit Octa core
• Iris scanner (infrared) for Windows Hello
• 3GB of RAM
• 32GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot
• 20MP PureView rear camera with triple LED flash
• 1mm silver ring inside the circumference of the black camera pod
• Aluminum side buttons
• 5MP Wide-angle front facing camera
• 3300 mAh removable battery
• Qi wireless charging integrated
• USB Type-C

As for Surface Pro 4, Microsoft is likely to beef up the performance and add new features and capabilities. The tablet is expected to come with the latest 6th gen Intel Skylake processor, Windows Hello based biomertic login, option to wake the PC from sleep using voice command, increased battery life and reduction in thickness. 

Microsoft might also announce the roll out of Windows 10 Mobile and unveil new hardware from OEM partners at the event.

The event starts at 10:00 am EDT (7:30pm IST) on Tuesday, October 6. Microsoft will also live stream the whole event at  microsoft.com/october2015event/

Samsung Galaxy note5 is coming to India on September 7

Before we get to see the big Apple day on September 8, Samsung is bringing the Galaxy note5 to India, just a day before. The South Korean tech giant has sent out invite for an event taking place on September 7 in the national capital to launch the note5.

The note5 was launched last month at an Unpacked event in New York alongside the Galaxy S6 edge+, and is already up for purchase in the U.S. Three weeks ago, the Galaxy S6 edge+ was launched in India for Rs. 57,900.

To recap, Samsung Galaxy note5 sports a metal frame and has a curved glass back panel. It comes with 5.7-inch QHD Super AMOLED display, powered by 64-bit octa-core Exynos 7420 processor with 4GB RAM, 32GB or 64GB non-expandable storage and runs Android 5.1 Lollipop. For imaging there is 16-megapixel rear camera accompanied by LED flash and 5-megapixel front shooter. It is fueled by 3000mAh battery. The Galaxy note5 comes with an improved S Pen and sports a fingerprint sensor integrated into the home button.

The Galaxy note5 is expected to be priced around 55,000 for the Indian market. However, all the official details on pricing and availability will be outed on September 7.

YU schedules September 8 event to launch new affordable smartphone

Micromax online-only subsidary YU Televentures will be launching new affordable smartphones in India on September 8. The comapny has sent out invites for the same hinting the new YU device to be the 'Next Wonder'. 

While there is no mention of Yu''s new phone name, we can speculate that the device might be dubbed YU Wonder. In addition, the company is also teasing certain aspects of the new YU smartphone on its twitter handle. The company tweeted a photo of Mona Lisa clicking a selfie using a selfie stick, indicating that the phone is targeted at selfie lovers. There is also a teaser showing Shakepeare wearing Google Glass. Anyways, all the official details will be known on September 8.

YU's new device is likely to be sold exclusively on Snapdeal, unlike all other Yu devices which been Amazon exclusive. This piece of information was revealed when Rahul Sharma, YU's CEO had a small chit-chat with Kunal Bahl, CEO of Snapdeal on Twitter.

 "@1kunalbahl Absolutely! Let's shake up a few chips together. YU and Snapdeal. #FutureIsYU," tweeted Rahul Sharma, who is also co-founder of Micromax. 

YU is also expected to announce it first power bank alongside the upcoming smartphone. It was spotted in a listing via Zauba. YU improted 5000 units of its 10000mAh power bank codenamed YUAPB100 from China.

The current YU device, YU Yureka, YU Yureka Plus and YU Yuphora have been quite popular in the country and it remains to be seen how well does the new YU phone will perform.

If Mona Lisa had a selfie stick, don’t you think we’d have had many beautiful pics of hers? #FutureMeetsPast pic.twitter.com/1UKfW8ANLU

— YU (@YUplaygod) September 2, 2015

If Shakespeare had a Google Glass, would it have changed the way he saw the world? #FutureMeetsPast #ComingSoon pic.twitter.com/u8pY0jhxvH

— YU (@YUplaygod) September 3, 2015

New Moto 360 Smartwatch coming on September 8

After numerous leaks and rumors, we finally get a launch date for the new Moto 360. Lenovo has sent out invites for an event scheduled on September 8 in Shanghai, China, where it will launch the new Moto 360.

The invite teases the new Moto 360 and a bold text on top of it read 'It's time'. We can also see the physical crown button placed at the 2 o' clock position and the external lugs.

Over the past few weeks reports and rumors indicates that the new Moto 360 will have two different size models, Moto 360 L and Moto 360 S. The Moto 360 L will sport 1.55-inch display, 46mm dial size, 22mm strap and pack 270mAh battery. The Moto 360 S will have 1.37-inch display, dial size of 38mm, strap size of 22mm and 375mAh battery. Both will come in different case colors and bands and will have a flat tire design.

There is also another version of the Moto 360, the Moto 360 sport. It will feature Hybrid display optimized for outdoor use, 3ATM Water Resistance, GPS and Barometer. It will be available black, White and orange rubber bands. We can also expect this smartwatch to be announced at the event.

Apple to hold an event on September 9 in San Francisco

Apple has sent out invites for its traditional fall event on September 9, taking place in San Francisco at the Bill Graham Civic auditorium. The invite reads "Hey Siri give us a hint"

When we say that to Siri, it wittingly states the launch date in some of the cheesiest way- "You'll have to wait until September 9. I bet you were one of those kids snuck downstairs to open presents early, weren't you?" one of Siri's responses read. "The only hint I can give you right now is a hint of lime. And that there's a big announcement on September 9," the second one noted.

At the event, the company is likely to announced the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.We can also expect next-generation iPads and Apple TV set-top box at the event alongside update on the launch dates of iOS 9 and WatchOS2.

As per reports, Apple's 2015 phones will offer a reinforced design constructed with series 7000 aluminum, which is up to 60 percent stronger that the alloy used in current iPhones. It will also comes with Force Touch display technology that allows for force-sensitive touch feedbacks. Apple iPhone's is said to be equipped with A9 processors, 2GBRAM, 12-megapixel cameras and Touch ID fingerprint sensors. The iPhone 6s will sport a 4.7-inch display while the iPhone 6s Plus will have a bigger 5.5-inch display. These are also expected to get animated wallpapers, similar to the Apple Watch.

The next-gen Apple TV is expected to have a redesigned chassis, an A8 processor, higher internal memory, new remote control, redesigned interface with Siri support and all-new App store for Apple TV. The iPad Pro with a large screen might also be introduced at the event,

Apple's event will start at 10:00AM Pacific Time (PT) (10:30 PM IST) on September 9 at Bill Graham auditorium in San Francisco, California. Apple will also offer live stream for the event. 

Apple also confirmed that Windows users will also be able to watch Apple's September 9th event streamed live. The new Edge browser in Windows 10 supports the same HTTP Live Streaming technology, which is found in Apple's QuickTime software, or the Safari browser.

Meizu schedules 'Brand Launch' event in India on August 26,

Chinese smartphone maker Meizu silently made its Indian debut with the launch of m1 note in May via Amazon for Rs. 9,999. The m2 note followed soon, which went on sale earlier this month exclusively on sale via Amazon for Rs. 9,999.

Now Meizu has announced an event for its official 'Brand Launch' in India, scheduled for August 26. The Meizu MX5 or m2 are the likely contenders to be launched at the event.

The Meizu MX5 was made official in China in June. The phone sports a metal body and measures 7.6mm around the waist. It comes with 5.5-inch Full HD AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Inside there is a 2.2GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio X10 processor with PowerVR G6200 GPU,  3GB RAM, 16/32/64GB storage and Android Lollipop based Flyme 4.5UI. For imaging there is 20.7-megapixel rear camera with dual-tone LED flash, laser autofocus and 5-megapixel front shooter for taking selfies. It supports 4G LTE connectivity, has dual-SIM slot and is fueled by 3150mAh battery that comes with mCharge quick charge technology. The phone also has a fingerprint scanner system called mTouch 2.0 integrated into the oval-shaped home button.

As for Meizu m2 it was announced last month in China and is a feature packed budget phone with 4G support. It sports a 5-inch HD display and is equipped with 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6735 64-bit processor paired with Mali-T720 GPU, 2GB RAM, houses 16GB storage and runs Android 5.1 Lollipop with FlyMe OS 4.5 on top. Camerawise, it sports 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and 5-megapixel front shooter. It comes with Hybrid dual SIM slot, primary SIM slot accepts either microSD card or SIM card. Fueling the m2 is a 2500mAh battery which apart from 4G supports 3G HSPA+, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS connectivity. 

Apart from India and China, Meizu smartphones are sold globally in countries including Hong Kong, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, Indonesia, Thailand and more.

In India, Meizu will be a worthy competitor to Xiaomi, Lenovo, Huawei and Micromax backed Yu who are doing very well the country.

Samsung to unveil selfie-focused Galaxy J5, J7 in India on July 16

Samsung unveiled two selfie-focused smartphones dubbed Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 in China last month. Both handset had 5-megapixel front shooter with LED flash.

Today, Samsung India has sent out press invites for an event taking place on July 16 in New Delhi, India.The Galaxy J5 and J7 are expected to be launched in the event.

The invite does not reveal which device will be launched, though the phone featured in the invite has the same front facing camera / dual LED flash setup as Galaxy J5 and J7, but it is placed differently. The invite reads"Unveiling of the latest stars in the Galaxy series".

The Samsung Galaxy J5 and J7 were launched in China last month, priced at CNY 1,398 (Rs. 14,500) and CNY 1,798 (Rs. 18,400) accordingly.  Both run Android 5.1 Lollipop and have dual-SIM slots. They come in Black, White and Gold colors. 

Samsung Galaxy J5 Specifications

• 5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS display
• 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 64 bit processor with Adreno 306 GPU
• 1.5GB RAM
• 16GB internal memory, expandable up to 128GB with microSD
• Android 5.1 (Lollipop)
• 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, f/1.9 aperture
• 5-megapixel front-facing camera with LED flash, 120-degree wide-angle lens
• Dual-SIM, 4G LTE, 3G HSPA+, WiFi, NFC, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS
• 2600mAh battery
• Dimensions: 142 x 73 x 8.5mm | Weight: 149g
• Exteriors: Black, White, Gold

 Samsung Galaxy J7 Specifications

• 5.5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS display
• Octa-Core (1.4GHz + 1GHz) Snapdragon 615 processor with Adreno 405 GPU
• 1.5GB RAM
• 16GB internal memory, expandable up to 128GB with microSD
• Android 5.1 (Lollipop)
• 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, f/1.9 aperture
• 5-megapixel front-facing camera with LED flash, 120-degree wide-angle lens
• Dual-SIM, 4G LTE, 3G HSPA+, NFC, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS
• 3000mAh battery
• Dimensions: 152.2 x 79.1 x 7.9mm | Weight: 168g
• Exteriors: Black, White, Gold

 The Indian pricing of these handsets will be revealed on July 16.

Apple announces OS X El Capitan

At WWDC 2015, Apple announced the new version of OS X dubbed El Capitan. It builds on last year's Yosemite with improved system performance, better window management, built-in apps and Spotlight search making daily activities from launching apps to accessing email faster and more responsive. Apple's Metal graphic technology is also integrated into El Capitan.

One of the visual enhancements to El Capitan is the change of system level font which is now San Francisco, first introduced in Apple watch. The font is touted to make reading easier for the eyes. For multi-tasking, Mission control now displays everything that is opened on the Mac in a single layer making it easy to find the window your looking for. To create new space you can simply drag a window to the top of the screen to access the new space bar.

Apple has introduced a new Split view feature that automatically position two app windows side-by-side in full screen so you can run both the apps. This feature is also available in iPad. Apple has also added a neat gesture to El Capitan that comes handy when you can't find cursor on the screen. You need to shake your finger on the trackpad, and the cursor will magnify in size, making it easier to be spotted.

As for the built-in apps, Safari adds a new Pinned Sites feature, that lets you pin frequently accessed webpages to the left of your tabs bar. There is a new mute button to silence the browser audio on any tab.

The all-new Notes app gets a checklist feature and lets you add PDFs, videos, photos and URLS. You can also save content from Safari and draw sketch. The new Attachment browser, organizes the stored information in one simple view, with separate tabs for photo, videos, sketches, URLs and more. You can sync the note app across your devices via iCloud.

Mail app gets Smart Suggestion, which recognizes names or events in a mail message and prompts you to add them to your contacts or calendar with a single click. It also gets a full-screen support and gestures. When composing an email the window can be minimized letting you search for attachments or look for text to copy and paste. Mail also gets new Swipe gestures, allowing you to swipe left to delete a mail or swipe right to mark the mail as read or unread.

In photos app, you can add location to a single image or an entire moment and sort albums by date or title. You can access third-part photo editing app directly within the photos app.

The Spotlight search gets even smarter, showing results for weather, stocks, sports, transit and web video. The Spotlight window can be resized to display more results. It also recognizes natural language to find documents and files on your Mac based on created date or sender name. For example : "email from John in June" brings up relevant results.
 
Apple's graphics processing technology will be made available on OS X El Capitan. Metal speeds system level graphic by up to 50 percent and efficiency by up to 40 percent resulting in faster graphics performance.The draw call performance is also 10 times faster for a fluid gaming experience and pro apps.
 
OS X El Capitan is now available to Members of Mac Developer Program. The Public beta will be available for Mac users (www.apple.com/osx/elcapitan-preview/) in July and the final version will roll out this fall which could be around September.