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14,411 'Android' stories May 2011 - January 2016
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Breaking news for Android. Get the latest on apps, carriers, devices, and more!

Android is Google’s mobile operating system, launched in September 2008, although its history technically began with the release of the Android alpha in November 2007. To this day, Android powers the majority of the world’s smartphones and comes in several different flavors across many phone makers.

Table of contents

What is Android?

Android Inc.

Android, before it was Android, was a company called Android Inc. That company was founded in Palo Alto, California, in 2003 by a crew of four: Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Nick Sears, and Chris White. The company and its project was acquired by Google in 2005 for a sum of more than $50 million, although the exact number is unknown. The company’s founders joined Google as part of the deal.

In its infancy, Android was an operating system built not for touch screen smartphones like the iPhone, but rather BlackBerry-like devices with physical keyboards. It’s well documented that after Apple shocked the world with the iPhone, ahead of its nearest competition by at least a couple years, Google and Android Inc. had to go back to the drawing board to build something competitive.

Adoption by third-party makers

It didn’t take long after the launch of the iPhone for various manufacturers to enter the market with their alternatives — and Google’s Android immediately became the obvious platform of choice for just about everyone except Microsoft. HTC was the first manufacturer on board, and introduced the T-Mobile G1 running Android in September 2008. Soon after, HTC, Motorola, Samsung, and carriers like Sprint and T-Mobile jumped on board to form the Open Handset Alliance.

Android makers across the world

Iconic Android handsets

There have been thousands of Android phones released since Android’s inception, but some have been more important to the platform’s history than others. There was the original T-Mobile G1, as mentioned, but there was also the HTC One Google Play Edition, Moto G, Samsung Galaxy S4, and others. Some of the most iconic Android handsets include:

  • HTC G1
  • HTC Nexus One
  • Samsung Galaxy S, S2, S3, S4, and their successors
  • HTC Incredible S
  • Samsung Nexus S
  • Samsung Galaxy Nexus
  • Samsung Galaxy Note
  • Nokia 8
  • BlackBerry KeyOne
  • Google Pixel and its successors

In more modern times, there are several Android smartphones makers that popped up across various niches and in several international markets. Huawei is a dominant Android maker in China and many European markets, while Samsung is by far the most popular maker in the United States by far — effectively creating a duopoly with Apple. Today, there are dozens of major device makers contributing to the Android ecosystem.

Full list of Android OEMs

History of major Android versions

Android has seen countless software revisions over the course of its life, but in modern times the OS usually sees a major release on an annual cadence. In the earlier days, Google famously gave its major software releases dessert-themed codenames, but retired that practice in 2019 with the release of Android 10.

VersionNameReleaseDevices
2.3GingerbreadFebruary 9, 2011Nexus S
4.0Ice Cream SandwichOctober 19, 2011Galaxy Nexus
4.1Jelly BeanJuly 9, 2012Nexus 7
4.2Jelly BeanNovember 13, 2012Nexus 4, 10
4.3Jelly BeanJuly 24, 2013Nexus 7 (2013)
4.4KitKatOctober 31, 2013Nexus 5
5.0LollipopNovember 3, 2014Nexus 6, 9
5.1LollipopMarch 9, 2015Android One
6.0MarshmallowOctober 5, 2015Nexus 5X, 6P
7.0NougatAugust 22, 2016Nexus 5X, 6P
7.1NougatOctober 4, 2016Pixel, Pixel XL
8.0OreoAugust 21, 2017Pixel, Pixel XL
8.1OreoDecember 5, 2017Pixel, Pixel XL
9PieAugust 6, 2018Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL
1010September 3, 2019Pixel 3, 3a
1111September 8, 2020Pixel 4

List of major Android OS platforms

While Android proper is certainly the most widespread of Google’s Android operating systems, the company has also launched many offshoots of the main OS over the years. There’s Android Auto, Android Wear (now Wear OS), Android TV (now rebranded to Google TV), as well as versions of Android built for tablets and Android Things (now defunct).

Marshmallow sees measly .2% increase in January’s Android distribution numbers

Avatar for Abner Li Jan 5 2016 - 2:02 pm PT
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Despite last month being the time when gifts are received (or rather selfishly bought for one’s self), Marshmallow’s distribution numbers increased very minimally. January’s Android distribution numbers were released today and includes data collected during a 7-day period ending on January 4th, well after when all the presents get opened.


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Samsung’s CES 2016 press conference starts at 2 PM PT, tune in here [Livestream]

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 5 2016 - 1:24 pm PT
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Samsung is up next for CES press day, following a very Android- and Google-heavy Huawei event. This event isn’t expected to be nearly as exciting, however, as Samsung has a wide variety of products spanning many categories to mention. Just like last year, I wouldn’t be surprised if we heard about Samsung services, some connected home products, some televisions, and maybe a new variant of a smartwatch (the Gear S2 this time, likely)…
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Matte Gold Nexus 6P available as Google Store and Best Buy exclusive in the US

Avatar for Abner Li Jan 5 2016 - 11:57 am PT
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Besides their flagship Mate 8, Huawei also announced at its CES event that the Nexus 6P’s gold variant is coming to the US. We reported last month that the 6P would be coming to Best Buy as an exclusive. The gold model was initially only available as a Japanese exclusive, before launching in India last month. 
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Huawei officially announces the Mate 8 for international markets

Avatar for Abner Li Jan 5 2016 - 11:26 am PT
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At their CES event today, Huawei officially launched their Mate 8 in international markets. This is a part of their larger play to expand beyond its home market of Asia into North America, Europe, and beyond. In the past few months, the company has released the well-received Nexus 6P with Google and the Huawei Watch.


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Huawei Watch ‘Jewel’ and ‘Elegant’ variants designed for women officially announced

Avatar for Chance Miller Jan 5 2016 - 10:31 am PT
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As its press event kicks off at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Huawei has announced a pair of new smartwatches that will launch in Q1 of this year. Much like we reported earlier, both of these watches are designed with the female market in mind. The two watches are called the “Elegant” and “Jewel” models and are variants of the Huawei Watch we’ve come to know.


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[Liveblog] Huawei’s Mate 8 CES event kicks off at 10 AM PT, follow along here as it unfolds

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 5 2016 - 9:08 am PT
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For Google fans, Hauwei’s press conference this morning is likely to be one of the most interesting of CES 2016. The company has boldly entered the United States market this year with the launch of the Huawei Watch and the Nexus 6P, and just about everyone — myself included — is excited to find out what the company has in store for 2017. From what we’ve heard, the company is planning to launch the Mate 8 for the United States, as well as introduce a new smartwatch (and some other things)…


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Fitbit’s latest Blaze activity tracker/watch has color, 5-day battery and style

Avatar for Jan 5 2016 - 9:03 am PT
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Update (1/6 10:30am): Fitbit Blaze is now available for pre-order from Amazon and Best Buy.

This morning Fitbit took the stage at CES to announce its latest activity tracker. The Fitbit Blaze sits between the Charge HR and Surge trackers in the company’s current product lineup. While it may look a whole lot like many full-blown iOS/Android smartwatches, its main focus is still fitness rather than third-party app complications.

Blaze is the first Fitbit to feature a high-resolution color touchscreen LCD display. It comes with a elastomer band and stainless steel frame, but in a move reminiscent to Apple’s attention to style with its Watch, Fitbit is also offering a wide range of different bands and frames. You can even customize its look even more through a variety of clock faces.

Blaze was designed to help you get in the best shape of your life by offering valuable health data, motivational coaching, and detailed workout instructions with animated images. PurePulse delivers all-day heart rate information that can “help you maintain workout intensity and better track calories burned during each workout” and provide vital data like “resting heart rate and heart rate trends over time.” Other features like Multi-Sport and SmartTrack take the pain out of logging individual workouts. A single charge is estimated to last up to 5-days.

Aside from its fitness tracking abilities, Blaze can also relay call, text and calendar alerts, as well as adjust volume and song selection from your iPhone or Android smartphone.

Fitbit Blaze can be pre-ordered now with a black, blue, or plum band for $199.95 and is expected to be released in March. Looking for a deal on a current generation Fitbit? The Charge is on sale for $89.99 (Reg. $130) and the Charge HR is down to $109.99 (Reg. $150).

Full press releases follows:


LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–CES – Fitbit (NYSE: FIT), the leader in the connected health and fitness market, today unveiled the Fitbit Blaze™ smart fitness watch, its smartest, most stylish, most motivating fitness tracker yet. The latest addition to Fitbit’s award-winning line of innovative devices, Fitbit Blaze is available today for presale with global retail availability starting in March 2016. Fitbit Blaze is a smart fitness watch built to help you make the most of your workouts, with a versatile design to fit your personal style, and the smart notifications that matter most – all in one sleek timepiece that fits seamlessly into your life:

  • Enhanced fitness features like FitStar™ by Fitbit® on-screen workouts, Connected GPS, PurePulse® heart rate tracking, and SmartTrack™ automatic exercise recognition help motivate and push your fitness further
  • Focus on style featuring a slim design, easily interchangeable bands and frames, and a beautiful, color touchscreen with a variety of clock faces to fit your personal style
  • Curated to fit your life and focused on the features that make tracking your health and fitness easier, Fitbit Blaze includes the smart notifications that matter most, like call, text and calendar alerts, so you can stay connected to what’s important, and a long battery life of up to 5 days allows you to keep up with your life, day and night

“One of the first things we learned in this industry is that fitness is personal – and if something isn’t your style, you won’t wear it,” said James Park, CEO and Co-Founder of Fitbit. “With Fitbit Blaze, we pushed the boundaries of what’s possible to create a beautiful, versatile device that can be customized to fit your personal style – while packing a powerful fitness punch to help you reach your goals. Fitbit Blaze delivers a combination of innovative features that were carefully selected with intention and purpose, designed to motivate and offer a fitness experience that is more effortless and more useful with advanced guidance and coaching.”

Enhanced Fitness Experience

In addition to tracking all of the best all-day activity stats you have come to expect from Fitbit, Fitbit Blaze was built with next-generation features to help you take your workouts to the next level:

  • FitStar Personal Trainer on-screen workouts deliver guided instructions and animated images to three of the most popular personal trainer workouts from FitStar: Warm It Up (8 minutes), 7 Minute Workout, and 10 Minute Abs. Each workout is free and can be accessed at any time with no app or smartphone required, offering a fast, effective workout you can do anywhere.
  • Connected GPS helps you train smarter by delivering real-time exercise stats like distance, pace and minute-mile split times when connected to a smartphone’s GPS. After each workout, stats sync wirelessly to the Fitbit dashboard to let you review your route, speed and elevation in more detail.
  • PurePulse continuous, wrist-based heart rate tracking helps maximize any training routine with simplified heart rate zones to help you maintain workout intensity and better track calories burned during each workout. PurePulse also provides all-day insights into overall health, including resting heart rate and heart rate trends over time, all without an uncomfortable chest strap.
  • Multi-sport mode lets you record specific activities like biking, cardio, running, weights, yoga and more while providing relevant, real-time performance stats to help you get the most out of each workout. PurePulse is enhanced while in Multi-sport mode for even better heart rate tracking, especially during high intensity workouts.
  • SmartTrack automatic exercise recognition automatically recognizes and records continuous movement activities like biking, hiking and running, with general categories for aerobic workouts (i.e., Zumba®, cardio-kickboxing and other dance classes) and sports (i.e., tennis, basketball and soccer). It gives you more ways to stay motivated and get credit for your workouts by effortlessly recording them in the Fitbit app and automatically adding them toward weekly exercise goals.

“As a former professional athlete, nothing gets me more motivated than a great coach,” said Tony Gonzalez, football legend and FitStar Trainer. “FitStar Personal Trainer offers workouts you can do anytime, anywhere, using your computer, tablet or phone and it’s only getting easier, thanks to this new integration with Fitbit Blaze.”

Get Fit in Style – Focus on Fashion and Personalization

Fitbit Blaze is a sleek, versatile timepiece that fits your personal style with:

  • Premium interchangeable bands made from genuine leather, stainless steel and high-performance elastomer to let you design a look that’s extremely personal and a perfect fit – whether at the gym, in the office or out on the town.
  • A unique modular design that allows you to easily remove and insert your tracker into a new frame, so you can wear Fitbit Blaze with style at work and then swap it instantly into a new frame with a workout-friendly wristband. Use the quick release spring bars to switch your bands and change the look of your device in seconds.
  • Fitbit’s first vibrant, high-resolution, color touchscreen and multiple clock faces make the device uniquely yours and distinguishable from others.

Curated Features that Fit Your Life

From the inside out, Fitbit Blaze is a carefully curated experience designed to help you take action without distraction. Each feature was selected with intention and purpose to help you stay connected, maximize your entire day and night, and fit effortlessly into your life:

  • Stay connected with smart notifications you need. Fitbit Blaze features the smartphone notifications you need most instead of being overwhelmed with unnecessary information.
    • Bluetooth® Smart connectivity delivers call, text and calendar notifications through on-screen messages and a vibrating alert, so you can see what matters most at a glance
    • Accept and reject calls directly from Fitbit Blaze when connected to a compatible smartphone
    • Adding motivation to any workout is easy with on-screen controls for playlists and volume when playing music from your connected smartphone
  • Track your night with automatic sleep tracking to know how long and well you sleep, plus set a silent alarm that gently vibrates to wake you.
  • Long battery life of up to 5 days on a single charge lets you live your life and track your exercise, sleep and heart rate day and night, with the confidence you won’t lose a step or miss a beat.
  • Compatible with more than 200 Android, iOS, and Windows mobile devices so you can access stats and motivational interactive tools, which help to motivate millions to achieve their goals within the community of Fitbit users they choose.

Pricing & Availability

Fitbit Blaze is available for $199.95 (U.S.) for presale today at Fitbit.com and tomorrow at major North American retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, Brookstone, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Macy’s, Sports Authority, Target, and Verizon, with global retail availability starting in March 2016. It will be available with black, blue, and plum bands at introduction, along with a stylish collection of premium accessory bands and frames. A full line of easily interchangeable accessories will be available in a variety of colors and styles with additional accessories coming soon. Accessories available at introduction include:

  • Classic high-performance elastomer bands available in black, blue and plum ($29.95 U.S.)
  • Luxe genuine leather bands paired with stainless steel display frames available in black, mist grey and camel ($99.95 U.S.)
  • Luxe stainless steel link band paired with a stainless steel display frame available in silver ($129.95 U.S.)

Consumers who want to experience Fitbit Blaze in person will be able to do so in advance of in-store retail availability at select Best Buy locations in the United States and Canada. Beginning February 20, visit select Best Buy locations where Best Buy Blue Shirts will be available to assist shoppers with trying on the device with its accessories and to complete a preorder.

Alcatel OneTouch unveils new Pixi 4 smartphone and tablet range

Avatar for Cam Bunton Jan 5 2016 - 6:35 am PT
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Alcatel OneTouch has built something of a name for itself at the affordable end of smartphone and tablet market. This morning at CES 2016, the company announced a brand new range of ultra low-end Pixi 4 phones and tablets, all powered by Android and a dual-core or quad-core processor, but each with a different-sized screen.

Alcatel OneTouch’s latest Pixi range will come with 3.5-inch, 4-inch, 6-inch and 7-inch models, with the last of those being far more like a small tablet than a smartphone.

Although they’re clearly entry-level products, the new Pixi range have been loaded with a number of features to make them attractive to first-time smartphone buyers, or those with lower budgets. The pre-installed Polaroid software lets users design their own collages from photos and add borders and text, while the front-facing flash on the 4-inch and 6-inch models means you can take selfies in the dark. What’s more, the Arkamys optimized speakers means audio shouldn’t be terrible.

You can find the full list of key specs for each model below. No specific release date or pricing has been mentioned for any of the devices.

Pixi 4 (3.5) Specs

  • 3.5-inch HVGA display
  • Dual-core 1.1GHz Cortex-A7 processor
  • 512MB RAM
  • 2MP rear camera
  • 0.3MP front camera
  • 4GB storage (expandable)
  • Runs Android 5.1 Lollipop

Pixi 4 (4) Specs

  • 4-inch WVGA display
  • Quad-core 1.3GHz Cortex-A7 processor
  • 512MB/1GB RAM
  • 4GB/8GB storage (expandable)
  • 2MP/5MP rear camera
  • 0.3MP/2MP front camera
  • Android 5.1 Lollipop

Pixi 4 (6) Specs

  • 6-inch 720p IPS display
  • Snapdragon 210 processor, quad-core 1.1GHz
  • 1GB RAM
  • 8GB storage (expandable)
  • 8MP rear camera
  • 5Mp front camera
  • LTE connectivity
  • 2,580mAh battery
  • Android 5.1 Lollipop

Pixi 4 (7) Specs

  • 7-inch 1024 x 600 resolution
  • 1.1GHz quad-core Cortex-A7 processor
  • 1GB RAM
  • 8GB storage (expandable)
  • 2,580mAh battery
  • GSM/3G networks
  • 2MP rear camera
  • 0.3MP front camera
  • Android 6.0 Marshmallow

10-inch Huawei MediaPad M2 Android tablet leaks ahead of launch

Avatar for Cam Bunton Jan 5 2016 - 1:58 am PT
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Huawei is expected to have a large presence at CES this year. With its plans to increase its market visibility in the US, the Las Vegas-based trade show is the perfect opportunity to show off its best smartphones and tablets. According to Evan Blass, we should expect to see the MediaPad M2 10 among them.

If a leaked set of renders from SuomiMobiili is anything to go by, this is what the 10-inch tablet will look like:

With its rectangular home button on the bottom bezel, its design is similar to many of Samsung’s Galaxy-branded tablets. From the renders, it appears as though the rear panel is mostly made from metal, with a plastic panel running all the way along one side which plays home to the camera and LED flash, and presumably also acts as a window for the various antennas.

Specification-wise it’s claimed that the tablet will feature a full HD 10.1-inch display, 2GB RAM, Huawei’s Kirin 930 processor, an 8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera and either 32GB or 64GB internal storage. US prices aren’t given, but SuomiMobiili expects the 32GB and 64GB models to retail at €349 and €449 respectively in Europe. Roughly converted to dollars, that’s $376 and $484 respectively, although actual pricing will almost certainly differ in the States.

The leak certainly seems official, and Evan Blass has a pretty solid track record, so we’re fairly confident this is legit, but there’s always a chance this isn’t authentic, however small.

Facebook intentionally made its Android app crash to test how addicted users are

Avatar for Chance Miller Jan 4 2016 - 6:02 pm PT
2 Comments

According to a new report out of The Information, Facebook has been putting a variety of contingencies in place behind the scenes to ensure that should it ever feel the need to pull out of the Play Store, it could survive. The report details a variety of practices Facebook has engaged in recently to attempt and reduce its reliance on Google, the Play Store, and built-in Android features.


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January security update for Nexus devices rolling out now, download factory images here

Avatar for Abner Li Jan 4 2016 - 11:08 am PT
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Google has been following through with its promise of providing monthly security patches for Nexus devices. Last month’s was bundled with Android 6.0.1 and the January security updates are arriving today. The updates are based on Android 6.0.1, so don’t expect any new user facing features or even other tweaks.


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LG announces new K7 and K10 mid-range smartphones

Avatar for Cam Bunton Jan 4 2016 - 10:04 am PT
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LG has shown its hand at Vegas this year and announced a couple of new mid-tier smartphones for the budget-conscious consumer at CES 2016. LG claims that both of the new devices have been inspired by nature, and are the first to offer the company’s ‘glossy pebble’ design language which is aimed at a younger target market. Both the K10 and K7 run Android and feel premium, according to the company’s press release…


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Galaxy S7 front panel and specs allegedly leak, corroborate earlier rumors

Avatar for Cam Bunton Jan 4 2016 - 4:40 am PT
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With Samsung expected to launch its next flagship Galaxy S lineup within the next couple of months, the frequency and number of leaks is increasing. Over the past 24-48 hours there have been a few notable leaks showing off the front panel of the redesigned smartphone, along with specifications and models numbers of the next generation Galaxy devices…


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Original Moto 360 in champagne metal now available for $150+ $5 shipping

Avatar for Cam Bunton Jan 3 2016 - 3:28 am PT
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Holiday season may have ended, but that doesn’t mean companies are ready to stop discounting products. We’re heading in to 2016, and have just seen an influx of new products hit the market in the last few months. That means older versions of gadgets are now available cheaper.

One such device is the original Moto 360. Head on over to Woot and you can snag the champagne gold version of Motorola’s first Android Wear watch for just $149 with either the 18mm or 23mm strap. That’s down 35% from the original list price of $229.

As a reminder, here’s a rundown of the specs:

  • 1.56-inch, round 320 x 290 LCD display (205ppi)
  • 18mm or 23mm brand
  • 320mAh battery
  • Bluetooth 4.0 LE
  • Heart rate sensor built in
  • TI OMAP 3 processor
  • IP67 water resistance
  • Pedometer
  • Corning Gorilla Glass 3
  • Qi-standard wireless charging (cradle include)
  • Runs Android Wear, compatible with Android smartphones from 4.3 upwards

The Moto 360 was arguably the first attractive, fashion-forward smartwatch running Android Wear. The champagne metal version emphasized that focus on design further. By the time the second generation was released towards the end of last year, Motorola had competition from the likes of Huawei, LG and Apple. Coming in to 2016, competition is only going to get fiercer as traditional watch-makers get involved in the wearable tech market. Both Fossil and TAG Heuer have launched Android Wear watches, and we expect other well-known fashion brands will do the same this year.

Year in Review: These were the 10 most important moves that Google made in 2015

Avatar for Stephen Hall Jan 1 2016 - 10:09 am PT
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2015 saw many announcements and developments within the Mountain View company. It was a big one. While we may not have seen as many of the flashy moonshot projects we’ve seen announced over the last few years, like Google Glass, Project Loon, Project Titan, and others, 2015 came with some big changes, upgrades, products, and services. From Google being completely restructured to be a new huge conglomerate called Alphabet to the recent launch of the company’s Nexus line, 2015 wasn’t a boring one for Google by any stretch of the imagination.

Here’s are some of Google’s most important announcements, in no particular order…


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Huawei reports 35% revenue growth in 2015 following strong smartphone sales

Avatar for Cam Bunton Dec 31 2015 - 4:04 am PT
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Following some very strong quarterly results, Huawei today revealed that 2015 was a resounding success. Although it was a little light on details, the company (as reported by WSJ) saw its full-year revenue for 2015 rise to 390 billion yuan (roughly $60.1 billion USD). That’s up more than 35% on the full calendar year previous…


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BlackBerry PRIV could be making its way to T-Mobile on January 26

Avatar for Cam Bunton Dec 31 2015 - 2:40 am PT
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The BlackBerry PRIV has officially been on the market now for a couple of months, and is seen by many as the device which will make or break the Canadian smartphone-maker. While the first ever Android-powered BlackBerry has been available from AT&T and Verizon for a little while now, the US’ #3 carrier T-Mobile, is yet to start selling the device through its own official retail chains. That could all be about to change according to a leaked roadmap obtained by PhoneArena.

The calendar details retail launches and events T-Mobile staff need to be aware of and prepare for. The January roadmap clearly indicates that employees should be preparing for a ‘BlackBerry Venice Launch’ on January 26.

Having dealt with leaks from T-Mobile like this a lot in the past, I can say it certainly looks like the genuine article, and there’s little to suggest it’s not legitimate. But with every leak comes the usual note of caution. Plans can — and often do — change. T-Mo has been known to change things up because of leaks, or because they’re simply not ready when they thought they would be.

With T-Mobile’s recent comments on BlackBerry, it’s clear the company has a lot of time for the former smartphone giant and plans to offer its products. Following a very public fallout, the two firms finally made up when the carrier officially started selling the BlackBerry Classic a few months back. Now it seems T-Mo is willing to offer more of the manufacturer’s wares on its store shelves.