HP Is Really Setting the Bar High for Microsoft’s Surface Phone .

HP is using the MWC 2016 conference in Barcelona, Spain, to showcase what seems to be the most powerful Windows 10 Mobile device created so far, as its hardware capabilities are even outclassing the ones of Microsoft’s very own Lumia 950 XL flagship.
And while it’s clearly a good thing to see more OEMs jumping on the Windows 10 Mobile bandwagon, HP’s Elite X3 is also setting the bar very high for Redmond’s very own Surface Phone, a device rumored to see daylight later this year.

Basically, the Lumia 950 XL has been until now the most powerful Windows 10 Mobile on the market. Thus, it came with pretty much the best hardware that you were able to find on a device running Microsoft’s new operating system.

And not only is HP’s Elite X3 fairly better than the 950 XL but it also forces Microsoft to make the Surface Phone superior to this model in order to remain the flagship of flagships.

The Surface lineup has always been about offering premium devices that no other OEMs has, so if the Surface Phone is built on the same approach, it has no other option than to outclass the Lumia 950 XL. Which, for us, the customers, is really great news because this means the Surface Phone is going to be a productivity monster in all regards.

Elite X3 for elite specifications
First of all, the HP Elite X3 comes with a 5.96-inch QHD AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels, and although we doubt that the Surface Phone would come with such a large screen, the device will almost for sure have at least AMOLED tech.

Then, the X3 is powered by the Snapdragon 820 CPU, and this is exactly the processor that at some point was rumored to be offered on the Surface Phone as well. Adoption of the 820 is quite exclusive at the moment, but the moment the Surface Phone sees daylight, it might become more mainstream, so Redmond should reconsider this too.

Additionally, it features 4 GB of RAM, so offering at least the same amount is a must. A 4150 mAh battery is available on the Elite X3 to get you through the day with all this hardware under the hood, and there’s no doubt that a large capacity battery is mandatory to power the device.

What’s more, HP also went for some features that force Microsoft to innovate with the Surface Phone. For example, it offers outstanding encryption (FIPS 140-2 cryptography, 128-bit key Unified Image Encryption, 256-bit key Full Disk Encryption), a finger print sensor, and iris scanner for Windows Hello.

HP has also developed the Mobile Extender, a laptop without any internals but a screen and a keyboard, which allows you to turn the Windows 10 Mobile device into a laptop with Continuum.

Rumor has it that the Surface Phone would be developed by the same team as the one that worked on Surface tablets, and all their efforts will be headed by none other than Panos Panay. The company is already said to be looking into several “innovations,” including the possibility of running Win32 apps in Continuum when a Surface phone is being used.

Without a doubt, this list of specifications is quite impressive for Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile fans who hope to get a wider array of devices to choose from and thus help their platform succeed. And as usual, competition is really helpful in this business environment, so thank you, HP, for helping us get the Surface Phone we’ve always dreamed about.

Microsoft Updates Windows 10 Mobile Mail and Calendar

Microsoft has just released an important update for the Mail and Calendar app on Windows 10 Mobile, introducing some new features, but also several bug fixes that are supposed to improve the overall performance of the app.
And since Windows 10 Mobile is still work in progress (except on new Lumia phones, where it’s offered as a stable build), such improvements certainly come in handy.

New features
First and foremost, the update comes with options to add holidays to your calendar, but also with the possibility of seeing an entire year at a glance with Year view. Previously, the best you could get was a monthly view of your appointments, so this is clearly a significant improvement for those who rely on their phone to organize their calendar.

Additionally, you can move messages to a folder of your choice thanks to a new option included by Microsoft in the Quick Action swipe menu, in addition to delete, archive, flag, and other tools.

And last but not least, the new version allows you to add attachments by simply pasting them into the body of the message, which pretty much replicates the behavior that you get on a desktop client, and this was probably Microsoft’s idea in the first place since Outlook is also available on Windows 10 PCs.

The Mail and Calendar app receives updates on a regular basis, and all these improvements come in handy especially because it still feels slow and buggy at certain moments. The Outlook client available on Android and iOS seems to be faster and better optimized, and Microsoft can’t afford to make its Windows 10 Mobile version inferior to the ones on rival platforms.

As usual, the new Windows 10 Mobile version of Mail and Calendar can be found in the store. With the default store configuration, app updates are automatically downloaded and installed, so if your phone has already gotten the new version, the chances are that it’s there and running.

Surface Phone - March 2017?

Microsoft might have gutted its phone division at the end of May, but rumours about its long-anticipated Surface Phone seem stronger than ever. The latest news now seems to suggest that it will, in fact, see the light of day at some point, with a tentative launch window of March 2017 now doing the rounds online - just in time for the Surface Pro 5 launch.

According to TCC, who cite so-called reports without any accreditation, the Surface Phone is in development and is currently code-named Juggernaut Alpha - a better name for the phone than Surface, if you ask us. It's expected to run Windows 10 and be powered by one of Intel's latest Kaby Lake chipsets.

Three models are supposedly in development, with the cheapest offering 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, while the second allegedly has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The third, most expensive model, meanwhile, is expected to be a kind of enterprise variant, with 8GB of RAM and a frankly ludicrous 512GB of storage.

With rumoured specs like these, the Surface Phone almost sounds more like a miniature tablet than a traditional smartphone, but maybe that's what Microsoft's aiming for after all - a proper, high-end Windows phone that brings all the power of the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book down into something you can truly fit in your pocket. If these rumours prove true, the Surface Phone could easily be the most exciting handset of 2017. There's little more to say at present except I'm, very excited about the idea of this handset.

Moto Z and Moto Z Force - September

Say goodbye to the Moto X and say hello to the Moto Z and Moto Z Force, Motorola's brand-new flagships for 2016. Launching worldwide this autumn, the Moto Z has the honour of being the world's thinnest smartphone, measuring an astounding 5.2mm thick, while the Moto Z Force is the long-awaited follow-up to Motorola's shatterproof wonderphone, the Moto X Force.

Both come with all the latest specs, including a Snapdragon 820 chip, 4GB of RAM, a 5.5in, 2,560x1,440 AMOLED display and either 32GB or 64GB of storage. The Moto Z Force, however, will have a larger battery (mAh capacities have yet to be confirmed) and a higher resolution camera, opting for a 21-megapixel sensor instead of the Moto Z's 13-megapixel snapper.

However, the specs aren't what make these phones special, as Motorola will be following in LG's footsteps by releasing a whole host of modular accessories for them. These snap onto the back of each phone using high-powered magnets to transform them into different devices - the JBL SoundBoost, for example, will add a huge set of speakers to the Moto Z family, while the Moto Insta-Share Projector will let you project videos up to 70in in size on nearby walls. There's also the Power Pack, which Motorola says will add another 22 hours of battery to each phone. For more details, read our in-depth Moto Z and Moto Z Force news round-up.

Blackberry Rome & Hamburg - September

Blackberry was, perhaps, a company that BlackBerry was a company that, perhaps, a lot of people had written off, with phones running its own OS no longer very popular. However, a shift in tactic saw the company switch to Android, with the rather good BlackBerry Priv. This year, the company looks set to double-down, releasing two handsets, the Hamburg and Rome. Given that the Priv was codenamed the Vienna, it seems likely that both of these phones will go through a name change before they're launched.

Details are thin on the ground at the moment, with only basic information available: we know that the Rome will have a keyboard, while the Hamburg will not. Apparently, the Rome will have specs very similar to that of the Priv, which had a Snapdragon 808 chip, 3GB of RAM and a 2,560x1,440 resolution screen. Apparently, it will cost around $500 when it's launched later in the year, with September rumoured.

As for the Hamburg, there are even fewer details available. From the renders made available to BlackBerryCentral, it seems as though the Hamburg takes it looks from the Z30. It will be a mid-range phone, with a cost of around $450. Of course, neither phone may actually
Of course, neither phone may actually launch, as leaks don't confirm a product's existence, more that a company is investigating new products. However, the Rome seems more likely to launch, as it brings the keyboard that BlackBerry is famous for, distinguishing this product from touch-only Android devices.

Nexus 5/6 2016 - October

This one's a little funny, as it's always hard to tell what Google is up to with its own-brand phones and we're not always guaranteed to get a like-for-like upgrade every year. However, it feels as though Google got into its stride last year with the 5.2in Nexus 5X and the 5.8in Nexus 6P, both replacements for older handsets. So, what will 2016 bring?

So far, it seems the internet has decided that HTC will be making the new Nexus phones. HTC, of course, made the excellent Nexus 9 tablet in 2014, so it's definitely got a good track record when it comes to making great Nexus devices.

Otherwise, little is known about the devices themselves apart from their general code names. This year, the new Nexus phones will be called Marlin and Sailfish during development, making them easier to track until Google give them both official names. And, of course, we're almost 99% certain that the new Nexus phones will come with the next version of Android. Read our Android N 7.0 hands on review to find out all the latest features. Google usually launches its new Nexus phones in October, too, so a October 2016 luanch seems like a safe bet for these new phones.

Recently launched:

OnePlus 3 

OnePlus has carved out an interesting niche for itself with the OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X, selling high-quality phones at much lower prices than you'd usually expect. It's really outdone itself with the OnePlus 3, though, as this beautifully-made smartphone offers the same amount of speed and power as its flagship rivals for almost half the price when buying SIM-free.

Armed with a Snapdragon 820 and a massive 6GB of RAM, the OnePlus 3 is one of the fastest smartphones you can buy today. Its 5.5in display might not have the same 2,560x1,440 resolution as other flagships, instead settling for a still perfectly respectable 1,920x1,080 resolution, but it still looks great, even if it is a tad over-saturated for our liking.

Combine that with 64GB of storage, a super-fast fingerprint sensor and NFC support for Android Pay, and the OnePlus 3 is once again the bargain of the year. For our full and final verdict, read our full OnePlus 3 review for all the latest details.

Moto G4 2016

The new Moto G4 is an absolute masterpiece. Offering mid-range specs at a budget price, the Moto G4 is the best bargain of the year and firmly throws down the gauntlet to every other smartphone manufacturer in existence. It's a little bigger than previous Moto Gs, as it has a 5.5in screen instead of just 5in, but its Full HD resolution, excellent 13-megapixel camera, super-fast octa-core Snapdragon 617 chip and superb 3,000mAh battery put it leagues ahead of anything else in this price range. Read our full Moto G4 2016 review for all the details. 

Sony Xperia X

Sony didn't release the Xperia Z6, as expected, changing the name to the Xperia X instead. It has Sony's build quality and the phone's certainly fast, but it's also relatively expensive and we weren't fans of the camera. It's a shame, as the Xperia X can't compete with this best flagship phones from other manufacturers. Read our full Sony Xperia X review.

Sony Xperia XA

The excitement may have been around the high-end handsets at MWC but I fell for the sleek, yet decidely mid-range Sony Xperia XA. The reason why is simple, it has 'that screen', a display that stretches practically from edge-to-edge with only the tiniest of bezels on either side. For a phone that's likely to cost a fraction of the models listed above, that's a serious plus point. At just 137g and 7.9mm thin, it's light and sleek too.

Inside things are a little less exciting admittedly. The 5.0in screen only has a 1,280x720 resolution and the chipset is a mid-range quad-core MediaTek MT6755 with 2GB of RAM. It's not going to win any awards for speed then, but that should all help to keep prices down when you go to buy it. It comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, of course.

There's a typical 16GB of storage plus a microSD card slot to add up to 200GB more if required. The 13-megapixel camera benefits from object-tracking technology, which should help keep everything nice and sharp when shooting. Read our hands-on review of the Sony Xperia XA for more pics and details, with our full review to come soon.

HTC 10

HTC's new One M10 is a big design improvement over One M8 and One M9 models. It has better battery life, screen quality has been improved and the camera is better. In addition, performance is up there with the best of this year's flagship handsets thanks to its Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset. The main problem is that this handset is more expensive than the LG G5 and Galaxy S7, and it's camera still leaves something to be desired. For our full verdict, read our full HTC One 10 review

Samsung Galaxy S7

Samsung's handset plan for 2016 is as predictable as Apple's. Samsung took to MWC 2016 to unveil the new Galaxy S7 at its Unpacked event. Externally, the chassis isn't drastically different from last year's Galaxy S6, as the same materials and colours have made a return. Instead, changes have been made internally, making the S7's faster and has better battery life. It's also IP68 waterproof, meaning it can handle being submerged to 1.5m for 30 minutes and there's no need to use rubber caps to block the ports. What will make a lot of people happy is the return of the microSD card slot. This can be expanded by up to 200GB (but expect such cards to be very expensive). For all the latest read our full Samsung Galaxy S7 review

LG G5

Arguably the most interesting of the big announcements at MWC 2016. The LG G5 now has a magnesium alloy chassis, so its build quality has vastly improved on last year's plastic affair. LG's taken a surprising modular approach with its latest flagship handset. While replaceable batteries aren't exactly the most exciting things in the world, things get a little more intriguing with the LG G5's manner of battery swapping.

The entire bottom now slides off and you can simply swap the battery over and slide it back in. But that's the least interesting part of the G5's modularity. Various different modules are available that add extra functionality, such as the Cam Plus module that will be useful for photographers, or the Hi-Fi Plus module for the audiophiles. The LG G5 will also work with a number of separate devices from LG, which the company refer to as 'Friends'. This includes the LG 360 Cam for 360-degree video. In the mean time, read our full LG G5 review.

Apple iPhone SE

After making all its phones bigger for the last couple of years, Apple has now released something for those who truly believe the best things come in small packages. With its tiny 4in screen, the iPhone SE blends the design of the iPhone 5S with the technology of the latest iPhone 6S. It display doesn't have the high contrast ratio or 3D Touch feature of the latest iPhone 6S, but it's a pretty decent effort nonetheless.

Its specs are also bang up-to-date. The Apple A9 chipset is screamingly fast, with Apple claiming complete parity with the iPhone 6S, and it also comes with the same 12-megapixel camera, with features like Live Photos and 4K video making the transition. With prices starting at just £359 this is a lot of phone for the money, by Apple standards. If you're looking for a smaller handset then this should be top of your list

The Best Phones of 2016

We round up the best mobile phones yet to be released in 2016, including Android smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, as well as Apple's latest iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

Android Phones Coming in 2016 and 2017

2015 was an amazing year for Android, with massive hits like the Samsung Galaxy S6, Sony Xperia Z5, and Blackberry Priv seriously impressing. But 2016 is already proving just as strong, with the HTC 10, LG G5 and Samsung Galaxy S7 all impressing the Recombu reviewers - and there's still lots more to come. Here's our pick of the best Android phones yet to be released in 2016, or coming in early 2017.

HTC Desire 10 Pro

Brand: HTC

Price: Expected from around £199 to £249

Release Date: October 2016

Our Review: HTC Desire 10 Pro preview

HTC is launching the new Desire 10 family phones in September, so they should be on sale here in the UK around October time. The Desire 10 Pro is the more premium of the two new mobiles, offering (hopefully) a solid camera experience, a sharp Full HD 5.5-inch screen, powerful BoomSound speakers and some respectable Snapdragon performance.

All of that, wrapped in a gorgeous white-and-gold or black-and-gold handset. And even better, we're hoping that HTC's asking price will make it stiff competition for the mighty Moto G4, another excellent 5.5-incher that costs under two hundred quid.

HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle

Brand: HTC

Price: Expected from around £199 to £249

Release Date: October 2016

Our Review: HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle preview

The Desire 10 Lifestyle is the cheaper, more basic model in the Desire 10 family. You can still expect the same attractive, eye-catching black or white finish of the Desire 10 Pro, with that funky gold edging. However, the Lifestyle's 5.5-inch display is rumoured to drop from Full HD to standard 720p HD.

And the Lifestyle's internals will likely take a hit too. So for example, expect a rather creaky Snapdragon 400 processor to be tucked inside, providing only very basic performance for messaging, web browsing and checking your social media feeds. Here's hoping the 13-megapixel camera is still a solid, dependable snapper for your everyday shots.

Samsung Galaxy S8

Brand: Samsung

Price: Expected from around £549

Release Date: April 2017

Our Review: Galaxy S8 preview

The Galaxy S7 is one of the best Android handsets of 2016 so far, packing some premium specs and a gorgeous design. Which means we're already super excited about the Galaxy S8, Samsung's 2017 flagship phone that's due to launch in a few months.

Expect the fresh new Snapdragon 821 processor and an industry-leading camera to compete with the new iPhone 7 Plus' snapper, plus plenty more besides. Check out our preview by following the link above to see how the S8 is likely to compare with this year's S7.

Moto E3

Brand: Motorola

Price: £99

Release Date: Autumn 2016

Our Review: Moto E3 Preview

We've already seen some great sub-£100 smartphones in 2016, including the Sony Xperia E5 and Voda's Smart Prime 7, but Motorola's Moto E3 could slay them all. This £99 mobile packs a 5-inch 720p HD screen and 8-megapixel camera, as well as a smooth-running vanilla version of Android Marshmallow.

Check out how the Moto E3 stacks up against the Moto G 2016 phones in our Moto comparison feature.

Apple iOS Phones Coming in 2016

Apple's iPhone 6s and 6s Plus were big critical hits for Apple in 2015, bringing 3D Touch and all-new camera tech to the tried-and-tested iPhone formula. In 2016 we're expecting more innovation from Apple, in the form of the iPhone 7.

iPhone 7

Brand: Apple

Price: From £599

Release Date: September 2016

Our Review: Coming soon

Apple's latest iPhone has just launched and has just been released in UK stores, bringing a new super-black design, a very exciting new camera, waterproof finish and lots more besides. Check out our massive iPhone comparison guide to see how the new iPhone 7 compares with the rest of the Apple smartphone family.

iPhone 7 Plus

Brand: Apple

Price: From $749 (likely £649)

Release Date: September 2016

Our Review: Coming soon

The iPhone 7 Plus is again a bigger version of the iPhone 7, but you also get a sharper Full HD screen, a bigger battery and Apple's super sexy new dual-lens camera tech. That secondary telephoto lens means you can zoom into your subject without any loss in detail, while also capturing some gorgeous bokeh in your photos.

Microsoft Windows Phones Coming Soon

Windows Phone has come on leaps and bounds in recent times, offering a user-friendly yet feature-packed experience, and now its natural successor Windows 10 is here, providing a consistent experience across mobile and desktop devices.

Microsoft is the primary producer of Windows Phone hardware now that it's sucked up Nokia, and we're expecting some seriously sexy new Lumia kit in 2016 to build on the solid Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL. There's no news so far, but we'll be sure to update this page as soon as those Lumia rumours emerge.

In fresh news, it appears that Nokia will unsurprisingly be back in the mobile hardware game come the end of 2016, focusing exclusively on Android devices.

Transparent Mobile Phone Price

A Transparent Mobile Phone is one of the latest crazes the mobile users are looking forward to. Ever since its feature in the sci-fi movies or Iron man 2 back in the year 2010, the anticipation of a transparent phone has increased.

Transparent Mobile Phone – Review
Back in the year 2013, rumors were doing rounds in the market that the Taiwanese branch of the US Polytron technologies would be coming up with a transparent phone. A prototype of the same was presented by the company earlier during the year 2013. According to the information provided, the transparent phone would be lightweight and would also possess almost all the feature of a smartphone. If compared to Apple’s iPhone, it has been estimated that the transparent phone would be 25% lighter with a marginal 0.3 inches bigger screen size. According to sources, the transparent phone would have some opaque portion as well and this would include the battery portion. However, in order to increase the transparency part, the battery would be adjusted on the margins of the handset.

Apart from the US Polytron, there are a few more companies who have either presented a prototype in the market or have released the transparent phone in the market. A list of such phones is stated as below:

Lenovo: Last year in 2015, Lenovo had come up with a prototype of a transparent phone along with the launch of its first smartphone in China named Zuk. According to the information provided, the prototype had an android like the interface and it was made sure that the handset would be easy to handle and would perform the functions of a standard smartphone. These features would include: making calls, playing music, display of images, etc. An estimated price of this phone was also not shared by Lenovo.
DoCoMo – Fujitsu: Yet another prototype released in the market in context to the transparent phone has been the two-sided transparent display prototype. Although much information is still not available regarding the transparent phone, but one thing which was made clear was that this phone could be operated from both the sides, be it the front or the back. Amazing isn’t it.
LG Electronics: Back in the year 2009, LG had come up with a transparent phone. The handset named LG GD900 was world’s first transparent handset. The hand help was introduced with a 3-inch screen and carried a 3D interface. Carrying an internal memory of 1.5GB expandable up to 32 GB, the handset is Bluetooth, wifi enabled. The handheld was highly priced at Rs. 26000 according to the year 2009 when it was introduced in the market. However, the production of this phone has been discontinued since 2012.

Transparent Mobile Phone – Release Date and Price

With so many prototypes and concepts being released in the market, the day is not far off when we would be holding one in our hands. Imagine, holding a phone in your hand and being able to see your palm through it or being able to operate the phone from both the sides. I am excited, aren’t you? If sources are to be believed, this awesome phone, as announced by the manufacturer would not be priced very high.

iPhone 7 Release Date and Exactly How We Know

By judging previous iPhone releases, we have a very accurate iPhone 7 release date estimate and in this article we will be sharing what many analysts are speculating. Remember that whilst the dates we’ve listed aren’t 100% confirmed as fact, but it’s very likely and is consistent with the latest leaks out of Apple Inc. Below, we have detailed all there is to know including just how we came up with the following launch date of Apple’s upcoming iPhone.

What do we base our information off of?

Before we share the estimated iPhone 7 release date, we’d first like to explain how we make our estimates. Whilst with other smartphone manufacturers it can be hard to predict an exact release date, Apple’s release strategy since the iPhone 5 has been very predictable. If Apple follow with their release strategy in 2016, which is expected at this point, we pretty much have a confirmed date for the release of the iPhone 7.

What is the iPhone 7 release date?

So we know what you’re wanting to hear so we will get straight to it. We are very confident that the iPhone 7 release date will be either September 16 or September 23. The most likely date is September 16 but September 23 is also possible.

Our reasoning behind this number is quite simple. Since the iPhone 5, every iPhone release has been on the third Friday of September. Below we have the exact numbers.

iPhone 5: Friday, September 21, 2012
5C, 5S: Friday, September 20, 2013
6 / 6 Plus: Friday, September 19, 2014
6S / 6S Plus: Friday, September 25, 2015
The reason why we’ve also included the September 23 date is because 2016 will be the first year that an iPhone will release in September where the first Friday is within the first few days of the month. September, 2016 will start on a Thursday, which will mean there will be five Fridays in September, 2016 instead of the four Fridays we’ve seen in the past four years.

It’s also important to note that the iPhone 7 unveiling event will also happen in the second full week of September.

iPhone 7 release date, news and rumors

Apple Confirms iPhone 7 Release Date

Report rights infringementpublished: 28 Aug 2016 views: 18747
People have been guessing for weeks about when the Apple\'s next big unveiling might finally take place. After all of the anticipation, speculation, and leaks, according to Forbes, Apple has announced that it will finally reveal the iPhone 7 on Sept. 7, 2016. Noted tech insider Evan Blass has speculated on Twitter that the latest phones could be seen in stores as soon as Sept. 16.