Interesting UMi ROME, Metal and well Spec’d, yours for $90

Chinese brands usually tread the line between great value for money and just blatantly copying other companies, but the top manufacturers (Huawei, Xiaomi, ZTE, Lenovo, Meizu) typically infuse their own originality and have made an impact. However, copycats are still out there, so what is the UMi ROME, a copy of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5, or a bargain smartphone that merely pays homage to Samsung’s phablet?

We’ll let you decide that, but what is clear is that by aping Samsung’s recent flagship output UMi has been able to deliver a device that looks cool and is also made of metal. Oh yes, this handset is also coming at a cost of just $89.99, although it will never come to the United States.

As for specs, the ROME comes with a 5.5-inch 720p AMOLED screen, a 64-bit, octa-core MediaTek MT6753 processor with ARM Mali T-720 GPU, and a healthy 3GB of RAM. UMi has also included 16GB of native storage (no confirmation of micro SD card support), a 13-megapixel Sony IMX164 sensor and a dual LED flash sitting on the back, and 2 megapixel front facing lens. With a 2500mAh battery we assume this will be a good performance in terms of battery life.

With Android 5.1 Lollipop running the show and some excellent specs, we expect this handset to be a good performer, especially with a solid chipset and generous amounts of RAM running with a 720p screen.

It is important to know that UMi has unveiled smartphones before and then simply never launched them, so if we never see the ROME out in the wild it would not be surprising. That said, the company says the device will be launching next month.

ASUS Details Android 6.0 Marshmallow Roadmap

ASUS is finally making a mark on the smartphone market and to continue to do that consumers will want to feel taken care of. With that in mind, the Tiawanese company has today revealed its roadmap for Android 6.0 Marshmallow upgrade, with the Asus ZenFone 2, the Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe / Special Edition, the ZenFone 2 Laser, the ZenFone Selfie and the Asus Padfone S all getting the bump.

Okay, we understand if those rocking the original ZenFone’s are a little disappointed to miss out, but by time ASUS’ upgrade program gets underway those handsets will be two years old. In other words, aged enough for the company to discontinue support.

As for the handsets mentioned to be getting Marshmallow, it is no surprise to see the successful ZenFone 2 range dominate the roster. We would also say that the soon to be launched ZenFone Zoom will also get an upgrade, but we will have to wait for ASUS’ confirmation after the handset is officially made available.

Nvidia Launches New Shield Tablet

Nvidia has raised the curtain on its new Shield Tablet K1 today, a follow up to the original K1 gaming oriented slate that arrive last year with bags of power. This time out Nvidia has trimmed some fat to achieve a very appealing cost of just $199, and for that you are really getting a lot of tablet and excellent gaming performance.

Compared to last year, the new slate is $100 cheaper than the original K1 although there are not huge changes here, so this sequel is really Nvidia cutting the price and adding some extras. The company has only launched a 16GB Wi-Fi model so far, but don’t be surprised to see a LTE version with more native storage arrive down the line.

Under the hood once again is Nvidia’s own Tegra K1 chipset, which is actually the same processor as last year, but don’t be put off by age as this is a blazing piece of silicon. The Tegra K1 is a 2.2GHz quad-core Cortex-A15 CPU and a 192-core GeForce Kepler GPU that delivers huge benchmark scores, especially for gaming, which is what the Shield’s focus is on.

Other specs include 1920 by 1200 pixels 8-inch IPS screen, and it is hard not to argue for this as one of the best pound for pound tablets on the market, and almost a must if you are gaming oriented. The $199.99 price means some compromises have been made, such as the ShieldDirect Stylus 2 pen is now a $19.99 optional extra, while the device also ships without a charger.

Speaking of optional extras, there is a magnetic keyboard cover that costs $39.99, while the Nvidia gamepad will cost $59.99. We would say the gamepad is a solid investment as it really enhances the gaming experience offered by the Shield Tablet K1.

HTC One M9 Purchases get free Desire 626 Today

HTC has quite the offer on in the United States at the moment, but you will need to be quick as the deal ends at the close of the day. The Taiwanese company is offering a free (read completely free) Desire 626 smartphone with every purchase of the flagship One M9.

The One M9 is an excellent handset in most aspects, although it is not without its issues and has not been a sales success for HTC as previous iterations. It also does not come cheap at $649 off contract and unlocked from HTC, but still it is a handset that is worth a look if you want something from the flagship end of the market. It is an even sweeter prospect with a free Desire 626.

The 626 is hardly an amazing handset, but it is a competent budget device that would usually cost you $179.99 unlocked, so you would be getting a solid package here. As we mentioned, the deal only runs today, so you should get your skates on if you are interested, while the option is only open if you buy the One M9 from HTC directly.

How to Use Two WhatsApp Accounts in One Android Phone?

Just talk about messaging in 2015 and every one point their fingers at WhatsApp, which is undoubtedly the #1 instant messaging app that lets you send text messages, voice calls, video messages and...

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BlackBerry Sticking with Android, Developing Vienna

BlackBerry is now a car carrying member of the Android family and the Priv is selling well enough early in its life that the company is even casting an eye to the future. That future will be the company going back to a tired and tested form factor that served it so well before the uniqueness of the Priv (sliding screen unveiling a keyboard) and the Passport (massive square).

The BlackBerry Vienna is a device in development that will be a QWERTY keyboard carrying handset that offers a svelte body next to the passport, and more conventional screen and deck design next to the Priv. It is unlikely to match either of those handsets in flagship quality, but will no doubt be aimed at those who email and note take a lot.

General specs are unknown at the moment, but the Vienna could be a welcome sight on Android and dare we say it, more welcome than the Passport. Rumors have been long that BlackBerry will update the Passport to run Android, but we would much prefer something new like the Vienna.

Wal-Mart going deal Crazy this Black Friday

Black Friday is imminent, which means retailers around the country will be offering huge deals on everything, including consumer electronics and smartphones. Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in the United States, will be among those slashing prices on numerous products in the mobile sector. A leaked copy of the company’s Black Friday circular leaflet has leaked online.

The Black Friday sale at Wal-Mart will start at 6pm on Thanksgiving. One of the deals on offer is Apple’s iPad Air 2, available for $399, which is a $100 discount on the slate. All Samsung smartphones come with a $150 discount directly and a further $100 off from the Black Friday gift card, meaning $250 off on every Samsung handset.
The iPhone is in the Wal-Mart Black Friday mix too with $200 in total savings, $100 from the discount and a further $100 from the card. For both Samsung and Apple, the deal is available with handsets running Verizon and AT&T, the two largest carriers in the U.S.

Models available include the Apple iPhone 5s, Apple iPhone 6, Apple iPhone 6 Plus, Apple iPhone 6s, Apple iPhone 6s Plus, Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Samsung Galaxy S6.