Huawei Unveils TalkBand B2 Fitness Tracker/Bluetooth Set

Huawei did not just launch the P8 Lite smartphone for the U.S. market today, the company also rolled out a new wearable to be sold in the United States. The TalkBand B2 will be available immediately and follows Huawei’s rather unique take on the wearable market. Like the TalkBand B1, this is a wearable fitness tracker that oddly doubles as a Bluetooth hands free kit (more on that later), but the B2 brings a lot more to the party than its predecessor.

Not least in terms of design. Simply put, the TalkBand B2 is good-looking, classy, elegant, and understated and while we could throw more superlatives its way, suffice to say that the device is just something we imagine people will want to wear (not something we can say about all wearables). There are two sports versions available with rubberized straps, available in either black or white, while the third model is a rather classy gold version with a brown leather strap.

It’s probably best to see the TalkBand B2 as an exercise tracker first and foremost, and in this respect it comes with a 6-axis motion sensor which allows the device to automatically know what activity you are doing. Whether you are walking, running, climbing, or something else, the B2 will know and will deduct calories and give other information accordingly. Huawei has also teamed up with JawBone to use its robust activity tracking software and network, which offers a dizzying array of ways to follow your workouts and activity.

However, the TalkBand B2 is also a Bluetooth hands free kit as the body detaches (we assume easily) from the strap cradle and can be converted into an earpiece. This is not just a throwaway novelty either as Huawei has added goodies such as noise cancellation to the mix.

Huawei Launched P8 Lite for U.S. Market

Huawei has raised the curtain a smartphone that will be launched in the United States, something the company has rarely done in the past. The device was announced at an event in the U.S. today and is the Huawei P8 Lite, a handset that has already been released in Asian markets, although there is one minor difference between that and the U.S. model.

At the start of this year, the Chinese giant announced that it would be launching devices in the United States during the year, in an attempt to finally have a major presence in North America. The P8 Lite is the first evidence of the company’s new strategy. As you may remember, the P8 Lite was launched alongside the proper P8 flagship and the P8Max back in April.

Like we mentioned, there is a minor difference between that device and the U.S. variant, namely the inclusion of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 615 (U.S. model) instead of Huawei’s own Kirin 620. The Snapdragon 615 is a 64-bit chipset with eight cores and a clock speed of 1.5GHz. Other specs on the P8 Lite are the same and include 2GB of RAM, a 13 megapixel rear snapper, a 5 megapixel front facing lens, and a 2,200mAh battery. Elsewhere there is 16GB of internal storage that can be bumped by up to 32GB extra thanks to a micro SD card slot.

Considering its very humble mid-range price point, the P8 Lite is very good looking, one of the most aesthetically pleasing at the price we would actually say, metal unibody and all. However, as is often the case with Huawei’s fantastic hardware, it is let down by the software. In this case there is Android 4.4.4 KitKat and not Android 5.0 Lollipop. We do not know why Huawei ignored the newer build, especially as the Asian P8 packs Lollipop, but we imagine an update will happen in the future. The company’s own Emotion UI 3.0 is baked on top of Android, and it is a take it, or leave it experience, hardly a deal breaker but the weak point on this handset.

As normal, Huawei is being very competitive in terms of price and is selling the P8 Lite in the United States for a very reasonable $249.99. The device is available from today and can be bought online from Amazon, Target, or GetHuawei.com, with the latter offering purchase options for 3, 6, or 12 months. The handset will also roll out to various bricks and mortar locations around the country.

Nintendo Will Not Include Android on New Console

Earlier in the week there were reports that Nintendo is working on a new games console that will run Google’s Android platform. It all seemed a bit too convenient for us, especially as Nintendo is a company known for working alone. And so it proved as the company (through a spokesperson) told the Wall Street Journal that “there is no truth to those reports”.

Sure, a tech company saying one thing and doing the exact opposite is not unheard of, but we really can’t see Nintendo going to Android, at least not for the main software of its console. As for the codenamed Nintendo NX, it needs to be a big hit for the company after the Wii U failed to make a significant impact. Following the mammoth success of the Wii, the U has struggled and resulted in Nintendo losing money.

Samsung on Course for 50 Million Galaxy S6 Sales Says Leading Research Firm

Are the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge selling well? Yes, but they may not be selling as well as Samsung had hoped if you believe some reports. The company has denied that its new flagship is underperforming and said that it still expect to sell over 50 million units before the end of this year. While many analysts disagree, Counterpoint Research, a leading and respected market watcher, has said that Samsung is on course to sell it projected amount of smartphones.

The firm revealed the Samsung shifted 6 million units during its first three weeks on sale in April and that number is consistent with the Galaxy S6 breaking 50 million units worldwide before 2015 closes. The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are Samsung’s most important flagships in some time, following a porr decline in sales through 2014 and the mildly received Galaxy S5.

The handset needs to be a bona fide success, something Samsung believes it will be. In these matters we tend to believe the company before analysts, and Samsung’s cause is heightened by the fact that the Galaxy S6 is such a good smartphone. However, if the analysts are correct it will be troubling for the company.

Samsung’s New Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 Passes TENAA

It is well-known that Samsung is building replacements for its Galaxy Tab S range, and thanks to TENAA in China we can have our first look at the smaller Galaxy Tab S2 8.0. The Chinese Telecommunications Equipment Certification Center has passed the device for sale, although there is still no sign of the larger Galaxy Tab S2 9.7.

The Tab S2 8.0 will have an 8-inch AMOLED display with 1536 x 2048 pixels and a 4:3 aspect ratio, while the slate will also boast an Exynos 7420 processor, 3GB of RAM, an 8MP/2MP camera configuration, and Android 5.0 Lollipop on board. The Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 is also set to be the world’s thinnest tablet when it lands, measuring a svelte 5.2mm, which is thinner than Samsung’s slimmest smartphone.

Cherry Mobile Takes the Wraps Off Their New Windows 10 Devices

There hasn't been a lot (or any) announcements yet for devices that will ship with Windows 10 Mobile later this year when it comes out until now.....   Philippines-based phone maker Cherry mobile has just announced not only one but two devices. The Alpha Prime 4 and the Alpha Prime 5...Sadly the specs on these devices don't live up to it's naming of "Alpha Prime".  You can check them out below.

Alpha Prime 4 Specs:

• Snapdragon 8909
• 1.1Ghz Quad Core
• 4-inch Screen
• WCDMA 900/2100
• FDD-LTE B1/B3/B5/B7
• 5mp Main Camera
• 2mp Front Camera
• 4gb ROM
• 512mb RAM

Alpha Prime 5 Specs:

• Snapdragon 8909
• 1.1Ghz Quad Core
• 5-inch Screen
• WCDMA 900/2100
• FDD-LTE B1/B3/B5/B7
• 8mp Main Camera
• 2mp Front Camera
• 8gb ROM
• 1gb RAM

They didn't announce a release date or a price on either one of these devices but I wouldn't expect them to be too expensive when they come out.

VIA

Rogers Upgrading Moto G LTE to Android 5.1 in June

Canada based network Rogers will be updating the first gen Moto G LTE directly to Android 5.1 sometime during June. The information was leaked on a company list showing that the LG G3 and the original Moto X will be getting Android 5.0.2 Lollipop during the coming month too.

As for the Moto G LTE, it is currently still back on Android 4.4.4 KitKat (which actually feels very old post Android M announcement), but the device will miss out on Android 5.0 Lollipop altogether and will move straight to Android 5.1. Motorola is doing that with several of its devices, like the already mentions first generation Moto X and the Verizon exclusive DROID Turbo.