Samsung to Give Indian Customers 15% Cashbank on Galaxy S5 at Launch

via AndroidHeadlines.com |

Samsung’s Galaxy S5 is just days away from launching all over the world on April 11th, but that doesn’t mean Samsung doesn’t have time to entice a few stragglers left to pre-order the device. Perhaps due to the recent news that Sony is doing quite well in India, Samsung is looking to entice Indian customers with cashback. The offer is only available at launch however, and will only be available until the 13th of April, or until stocks run dry, whichever come first. It’s an interesting move by Samsung, but it’s not going to be available to everyone.

For one thing, the offer is only open for a few days, and it only applies to those using their Citibank credit card, which means you’ll need to have the asking price for the Galaxy S5 free on your balance. With the Galaxy S5 costing RS 51,000 in India, you’re going to need a freed up credit card to enjoy this offer, but you do get 15% cashback, which is RS 7,650 of the overall price of Samsung’s smartphone. While certainly not an offer to overlook, it’s one worth reading the fine print to see just how worth it is to you. Most of the time, offers like this in India require some sort of credit card to be used, which could end up causing you more headaches down the line.

As well as the Galaxy S5, the Gear 2 lineup of devices are also available to pre-book from Samsung’s India store online, which will be news to those looking for their next smarwatch. However, there’s a good chance Samsung fans in the region will have already snapped up last year’s Galaxy Gear when it was heavily reduced running up to the Mobile World Congress debut of the Tizen-powered Gear 2 family. Let us know in the comments below if this is an offer you would consider taking Samsung up on, or is it just too limited to be that enticing?

The post Samsung to Give Indian Customers 15% Cashbank on Galaxy S5 at Launch appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

http://bit.ly/1qjkJcq

OnePlus One Upgraded Before it Launches; Now Features 3 GB RAM and 2.5 GHz Snapdragon 801

via AndroidHeadlines.com |

Even before the device has seen the inside of retail stores, the first phone from tech startup OnePlus has created quite a stir. It seems that OnePlus takes their tagline pretty seriously, “Never Settle” seems to have become second nature to the OnePlus One device. We have had news earlier that the first phone from OnePlus, unoriginally named as the OnePlus One, would offer high-end specs for a very low-end price. However, the specs seem fluctuate more often than not. In the latest information leaking in from the startup, the OnePlus One has been given a hardware boost even before launch. The device was originally supposed to ship with 2 GB of RAM and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 system on chip (SOC). For the better, the OnePlus One will now be made available with 3 GB of RAM and will be powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC.

The company states that “[w]e have chosen to move to Snapdragon 801 processor to take full advantage of the fastest SoC currently on the market. We wanted to bring the real-world performance enhancements gained from the many improvements the Snapdragon 801 offers over the 800.” With the change of SOC, the OnePlus One will see a speed boost from 2.3 GHz of the Snapdragon 800 to 2.5 GHz. The graphics processing unit will also see a speed boost from 450 MHz to 578 MHz, which would translate into better real-world game performance.

The OnePlus One will officially be unveiled on 23^rd April and OnePlus claims that these last-minute hardware changes will not delay the original launch date. With the upgraded specs, the OnePlus One lands in the premium devices segment, however the device will have to live up to the hype and increased user expectations. On our part, we’re pretty excited – any upgraded new phone is always good news. Once it’s launched, we’d love to see the OnePlus One go head to head with the titans – the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the new HTC One (M8). While you wait, check out the teaser unboxing of the OnePlus One.

The post OnePlus One Upgraded Before it Launches; Now Features 3 GB RAM and 2.5 GHz Snapdragon 801 appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

http://bit.ly/PXDFSA

Will.i.am Shows Off New Smartwatch, Sounds Like a Standalone Device

via AndroidHeadlines.com |

It isn’t a new thing to see celebrities venture off the beaten path and into other markets. It seems as though Will.i.am is prepping for battle. His new smart watch is taking aim at Samsung, Motorola and other OEMs making smartwatches.

You may be asking why Will.i.am? He isn’t exactly on a world tour right now. Some may even already be Googling “What happened to Will.i.am?” Well he’s still going, and though he may not be on tour; he’s still a self titled tasteful tech mogul. Seeing as how Will.i.am also has a history in male fashion, it’s only right that he takes on the aspect of tech that coincides with fashion. Will.i.am appeared on a show in Britain called the Alan Carr show. While on stage, Will.i.am made a gesture to something on his wrist saying, “I don’t carry my phone anymore,” and then he goes on to give a little taste of the device. This simple statement tells us that either Will.i.am is a total diva who has other people carry things for him, or the new smartwatch operates as a standalone device. There is no word on a release date, specs, or designs. All we know is Will.i.am has one, and is promoting it around the world.

While doing so, he has mentioned that the device will require bluetooth headphones. This means there is more than likely no speaker on the watch, or at least not one to write home about. We also know that the device is supposed to make calls. However each time Will.i.am displays the device can’t go perfectly. The time he chose to display the calls aspect was while on “The Voice” when Will.i.am tries to call Cheryl Cole. The Telegraph is reporting that the call was dropped.

Still people are becoming intrigued by this device that Will.i.am is sporting. We all remember the Miley Cyrus/Samsung thing right? The question is, how many tweens were reached by using her to promote a product? Unknown at the moment. Will.i.am may not have the best history with tech projects. For the most part, his never seem to make it very far. However, this device looks nice, and could prove to be a very impressive smart watch. Let’s ask the obvious questions, do celebrities directly affect your decision on buying a product or at least research it? Are we ready for a stand alone smart watch this early in the wearable game? Speak up down below, or on our G+ page.

The post Will.i.am Shows Off New Smartwatch, Sounds Like a Standalone Device appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

http://bit.ly/1g39Jen

Google I/O 2014 Registration Switches to April 15-18, Delayed By A Week

via AndroidHeadlines.com |

The annual developer-focused Google conference is a Mecca for tech enthusiasts, the popularity of Google I/O conferences can be gauged by the swift speeds with which the tickets get sold out. Usually the Google I/O is an impeccably managed affair, however for this year due to reasons not known yet, the registration window for this year has been delayed by a week. Information previously shared on the official Google I/O site had put the registration window from April 8^th to 10^th, however from today onwards, the registration dates are from April 15^th to 18^th.

For the uninitiated, once every year Google calls together developers and tech enthusiasts alike to unveil what the future holds for Google’s products. Google I/O features more towards the technical aspects of Google’s products and services, including in-depth sessions which are focused on building web, mobile and enterprise solutions using Google’s offerings – namely Android, Chrome, Chrome OS, Google APIs, Web Toolkit, App Engine and more. The first Google I/O conference happened in 2008, with the I/O standing for Input-Output and ‘Innovation in the Open’.

This years’ conference will be held on June 25^th and 26^th at the Moscone West Convention Center in San Francisco. The General Admission Tickets costs the same as last year – a whopping $900 while the tickets for school students (Academic Admission Ticket) is much more reasonably priced at $300. This year Google has also made some changes to the registration process, as last year all the tickets were sold out within just 49 minutes. For the registration process the Google I/O website states that “The window to submit a registration application will open on April 15th and stay open until April 18th, so you’ll have plenty of time to apply. [Google will] randomly select applicants after the window closes on the 18th and notify them the following week via email. Qualified registration applicants will be selected at random for ticket assignments. The order in which registration applications are received has no bearing on the final outcome.”

This random selection of participants in something unique from this year onwards, whether this method will bring in some sanity to the process, only time will tell. In the meantime, hit up the source link on this article to check out what to expect during the registration window and how to apply for those tickets. All the best!

The post Google I/O 2014 Registration Switches to April 15-18, Delayed By A Week appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

http://bit.ly/PJUReJ

Featured Review: HTC Dot View Case for the HTC One M8

via AndroidHeadlines.com |

Alongside the HTC One M8, HTC also announced their newest accessory, which is the HTC Dot View case, and kind of takes some pointers from Samsung’s S View Case and LG’s QuickWindow case. While those both have windows on their cases to show you information, HTC uses a retro 8-bit display to show information through the dots on the case. Hence the name Dot View case. it’s a really nice looking case actually, and I really like it. However there is a downside, which I’ll get to a bit later on. The HTC Dot View case is made of the soft-touch plastic that you’ll find on the Nexus 5 and 7 2013. The particular one that I have here is gray, but I’m told that it’ll be available in many other colors very soon. It’s available right now for just $50. We’ll have buy links at the bottom of this review.

The HTC Dot View Case is a great looking case, as I stated already. And if you pick up your phone and double tap the front of the case, it’ll turn on showing you the time and weather. Which the weather will flash between the conditions and temperature. Then it’ll turn off after a few seconds. Now if you’re getting a phone call, you can swipe up to answer or down to ignore, through the case. You never even need to open it up. It’ll show you the name of the person who’s calling, but not their phone number. Unless that person isn’t in your contacts, then it’ll show their number. Unfortunately, the Dot View case doesn’t show notifications from other apps like Gmail, Twitter, etc. but it will work for the stock email app and a few other HTC apps. Which kind of sucks, but I have a feeling that’s going to change in the future since we do have the Dot View app in the Play Store that HTC can update at any time.

Now for the quirks. There’s a reason why I don’t like these flip cases or covers, and that’s because when you are trying to type an email, a Tweet, a Google+ post or anything at all, it just feels weird. because the cover is folded back and it’s not curved like the back of the HTC One M8 is. So it’s a bit awkward to use. That is literally my only issue with this case. Other than that, I’d buy it with the HTC One M8.

A lot of people have been asking about battery life on the HTC One M8 with the Dot View case, and I can say that I haven’t noticed any type of drain from using it at all. The reason why many were asking is because the M8 does not have an AMOLED display, so it’s lighting up the entire display, and not just a few pixels like the Active Display on the Moto X. But the main difference here is that the Dot View case only lights up when you double tap or get a phone call. Active Display on the Moto X will keep flashing until you check your notifications.

Would I recommend the HTC Dot View case? Yes and no. I’d have to say that the good stuff far out weigh the bad stuff here. But if you’re looking for a case to protect your HTC One M8, then you’ll want to look elsewhere as the Dot View case won’t provide much protection for your HTC One M8.

Buy: HTC

Gallery

Video

Click here to view the embedded video.

---

The post Featured Review: HTC Dot View Case for the HTC One M8 appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

http://bit.ly/1engd7f

Featured Review: Incipio DualPro Shine Case for the HTC One M8

via AndroidHeadlines.com |

Here we are looking at another case for the HTC One M8 from Incipio. This one is their DualPro Shine case, which is a great looking case, and one that they make for most other flagships out there as well. In fact, I’ve reviewed this same case for the LG G Flex just a few months ago. With the DualPro Shine, I pretty much knew what to expect, but it was still awesome reviewing it as the HTC One M8 does look amazing in this case, but then again it looks amazing without it as well. The DualPro Shine is available in white and black as well as all black. It’s also available for $34.99 from Incipio, we’ll have links to both Incipio and Amazon at the bottom of this review.

With the DualPro Shine case, you’ve got two layers here. The first layer is a nice TPU type case that goes against your smartphone, in this case the HTC One M8. Then there’s the second layer which is more of a hardshell and is a bit shiny, but not shiny enough to be slippery. It also has the brushed metal look like the HTC One M8 has, and it looks amazing on the HTC One M8. It’s very simple to put on, but a bit difficult to take off, which might be a good thing. What that means is that it’s not just going to pop off at any moment, which is definitely a good thing, right? The DualPro Shine is probably one of my favorite cases for any device right now, it’s right up there with some of Spigen and Seidio’s cases.

The Incipio DualPro Shine is available from Incipio and Amazon right now – links down below. For those that want more pictures, we’ve got a nice gallery below as well as a short video review – kind of hard to do a long one on a case.

Buy: Incipio, Amazon

Gallery

Video Review

Click here to view the embedded video.

The post Featured Review: Incipio DualPro Shine Case for the HTC One M8 appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

http://bit.ly/1jWAcir

Thanks To Samsung, Selfies With The President Could Soon Be A Thing Of The Past

via AndroidHeadlines.com |

Hoping that one day you might get the opportunity to take a selfie with the Commander-in-Chief? Sorry to say it, but your dreams might soon be dashed, and if that happens, it looks like we can probably blame it on Samsung. It isn’t exactly a secret that Samsung has been getting high-profile folks to use its devices as a means of low-key advertising – remember when Ellen’s selfie at the Oscars turned out to be a bit of marketing for the Galaxy Note 3? – but the white house is a little concerned that Samsung may have taken things too far with another wildly popular selfie.

Specifically we’re referring to the picture David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox snapped with President Obama when the team visited the White House last week. The picture was taken with (you guessed it) a Samsung Galaxy Note 3, and was soon retweeted by Samsung. Though Samsung and Ortiz have both denied planning the selfie to help advertise the device, the fact that Samsung retweeted the picture left White House officials feeling a little too uncomfortable.

It isn’t so much that the White House doesn’t want the President to be featured in selfies, but rather, it isn’t fond of the President’s likeness being used to promote a product. Samsung does indeed have a marketing agreement with David Ortiz, and even if the picture wasn’t planned in advance, that deal is enough to get the White House wondering if it should just put an end to all Presidential selfies.

Not that it means anything to normal folks like us, since our chances of actually being close enough to the President to snap a selfie are pretty slim. That’s just the thing though, isn’t it? If the only people who can get that close to the President are high-profile folks with a vast following, then it opens up a prime opportunity to do a little discreet marketing. We can’t say we necessarily blame the White House for considering a hard-line against Presidential selfies, but we want to know what you think – head down to the comments section and share your opinion on this story!

The post Thanks To Samsung, Selfies With The President Could Soon Be A Thing Of The Past appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

http://bit.ly/1hVjRtP