GSMArena News

Hot on the heels of the previously leaked red and pink versions, another new color scheme of the HTC One (M8) made the rounds on Twitter. Unsurprisingly, the image was posted on the social network by @evleaks.

HTC One (M8) in blue (click to enlarge)

It is hardly a surprise that HTC will release a version of its flagship smartphone in blue. A blue-colored HTC One (M7) was exclusively offered by BestBuy in the United States.

There is no word on pricing or availability of the new color scheme. We doubt it will be a long wait to find out.

Source

CategoryNews || Source www.gsmarena.com

The OnePlus One has been receiving quite the buzz as of late, especially with regards to its invite system.

There have been some concerns from users who want to know how OnePlus plans on stopping people from selling their handsets to those who didn’t receive invitations to use the device.

The ins and outs of how OnePlus plans to stop the reselling of their handsets weren’t exactly laid out, however, the company did say that they don’t believe reselling will be a major issue. OnePlus did say that they will demonstrate “full control over distribution and expiry times.”

So how does the invites system work? Well if you do receive a golden ticket from OnePlus, you’ll have 24 hours to claim the invitation, or else it’ll expire. Also, if you receive an invite, you’ll be able to invite other people interested in nabbing a OnePlus One for themselves as well.

Don’t expect there to be a surfeit of invites in the beginning, as OnePlus is most likely going to follow the Google invite model to try and foment some hype for their Android handset.

What’s interesting to note is that the 64GB version of the OnePlus One will actually be available for sale before the more affordable 16GB model.

Are you looking forward to picking up this bad boy? It currently is the internet’s favorite phone, but we’ll see if it lives up to the hype when it finally drops.

Source | Via

CategoryBlog || Source blog.gsmarena.com

Nokia Camera Beta for Windows Phone got treated to a major update. Version 4.7.1.3 of the imaging app brings new features to Nokia Lumia users who are running it.

The latest version of the app features support for Living Images. The latter is actually an update for Nokia Cinemagraph. Continuous autofocus support and surround sound capture are also brought on board.

It must be noted that the abovementioned features will be supported by Nokia Lumia 930, Icon, and 1520. The quad-microphone setup and powerful hardware are the likely reasons for the extra trickery.

To the rest of the Nokia Lumia range, the app will bring new Camera Roll with support for full resolution zoom and inline video playback. Creative Studio and Video Trimmer have also been baked in.

You can download and install the latest version of Nokia Camera Beta by hitting the source link below. Feel free to drop us a line with your impressions in the comments section.

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CategoryBlog || Source blog.gsmarena.com

Micromax has been churning out quality handsets as of late, and their newest addition to India has arrived: the Micromax Canvas Elanza 2.

The Indian cell phone manufacturer has outfitted the Elanza 2 with a 5"1280 x 720 resolution display, a quad-core 1.2GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 8MP and 2MP primary and front-facing cameras, and stock Android 4.3 Jelly bean out of the box. The Elanza 2 only has 2.23 GB available for apps installation and user memory, but luckily there is a microSD card slot for added storage.

It seems that some thought has also went into the design of the Elanza 2 as well, as Micromax has decked the device's back with a "luxurious" leather battery cover.

You can currently pick the phone up for 9,340 Rs. online (about $155), which is a pretty great deal considering the specs of the phone.

Source 1 | Source 2

CategoryNews || Source www.gsmarena.com

Karbonn took the wraps off the Titanium Hexa smartphone. The Android KitKat handset will be exclusively offered by Amazon India for Rs. 16,990 (about $283).

As its name suggests, the Karbonn Titanium Hexa is powered by a 1.5GHz hexa-core CPU on a MediaTek MT6591 chipset. The display is a 5.5" unit with Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) and scratch-resistant oleophobic coating.

The rest of the device's specs include 2GB of RAM, 16GB of built-in memory, and microSD card slot. A 13MP main camera, 5MP front-facing unit, full connectivity suite, and 2,050 mAh battery complete the list of specs.

Pre-orders will kick off tomorrow, on May 13, while actual sales will begin a week later, on May 20.

CategoryNews || Source www.gsmarena.com

Analysts at Morgan Stanley believe that the sales of iPhone 6 will be 20% higher than that of the 5s, partly because the production process has been running smoothly and there aren't any foreseeable issues that Apple will encounter in procuring components for continued production of their upcoming flagship.

This is a significant contrast to the iPhone 5s, which only helped Apple to secure a 6.7% increase in profits (in Q4 2013) from the previous year. The rate of growth was much less than what Apple had originally anticipated.

Another factor that is thought to contribute to a projected boon in iPhone 6 sales is the increased screen size of the device. It will be the first iPhone that will compete with Android flagships with larger screens. All of the hulabaloo of Apple finally deciding to up the ante with their screens may captivate the attention, and wallets, of consumers.

Analyst Katy Huberty at Morgan Stanley did point out, however, that the bill of materials for the iPhone 6 were most likely going to be $20-$30 more per unit than the current-gen iPhone 5s. The updated camera and larger screen account for the majority of the price increase.

Huberty had also this to say regarding the increased price of production for the iPhone 6:

"However, we don't detect any abnormal component pricing pressure from Apple suggesting lower inventory, deprecation, and warranty costs along with the potential for a modest price increase and/or NAND mix change may help digest the higher (bill of materials),"

Even though predictions for the iPhone 6 are positive, the tablet market's outlook doesn't as promising. The same Morgan Stanley analyst believes that shipments of the iPad will see a 1% decrease starting from Q3 2014 and into 2015.

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CategoryNews || Source www.gsmarena.com

The international Samsung Galaxy S5 is receiving a new update as we speak which promises to improve the camera startup speed, gallery responsiveness and fingerprint recognition time.

The update is currently live in the UK and is expected to roll out gradually across all devices. According to Sammobile which have the update installed on a unit the camera is now faster to open, which can also be said about the gallery (which was a tad slow prior to the update).

The source also reports the fingerprint scanner is more accurate even with one-handed use.

Finally the update is said to bring a general performance boost and improved RAM management - a common side effect of firmware updates.

The software version remains at Android 4.4.2 and the update carries the version G900FXXU1ANE2. It's currently only available through Samsung's Kies software, but you can manually download and install if you know how.

Via

CategoryNews || Source www.gsmarena.com

Gmail for Android now boasts over 1 billion downloads on the Google Play Store. Gmail is the first app to reach this milestone, after Google Play Services package, which is automatically installed on every certified Android device.

The download counter reflects unique installs and not a total number of downloads, including repeats. Don’t think, however, that there are 1 billion active Android Gmail users, as there are most certainly some abandoned or duplicate accounts.

Android boasted 1.5 million daily activations back in April 2013, and we’re definitely going to see a more updated figure on June 25, when Google I/O 2014 kicks off.

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CategoryBlog || Source blog.gsmarena.com

Samsung may be busy transitioning its tablet lineup to AMOLED screens and expanding it with new sizes, but it hasn’t completely forgotten about the devices it already has. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0, which once was a premium mid-sized tablet is starting to receive its Android 4.4 KitKat update across the globe.

The Korean version was the first to get the boost, but only a few hours later the international version joined the fun with Poland the first market to receive it. Unless there are unexpected issues with the update, all Galaxy Note 8.0 units should follow suit shortly.

In addition to the performance boost that’s native to the Android KitKat release, the update should also bring improved battery life, full-screen album art on the lock screen, and wireless printing support. There’s no detailed changelog given so there could be some other niceties hiding in there.

Via

CategoryBlog || Source blog.gsmarena.com

Yet another Apple iPhone 6 leak came in today, courtesy of a case maker who works with the major UK retailer Mobilefun. The interesting bit here is that the design of the smartphone stays quite close to that of the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s, rather going for the iPod touch look evidenced by previous leaks.

Now case makers get information about the size of the upcoming iPhone 6 and the position of its buttons and sensors so they can get their products ready in time, so there is a chance that this leak holds some water. However, the very different design certainly rises a few questions about its legitimacy.

Apple iPhone 6

One possible explanation is that Apple is actually going to use two different designs for the two iPhone 6 versions that the rumor mill often sees. Another theory is that what was allegedly an iPod-like iPhone, could simply turn out to be the next-gen iPod Touch, with the smartphone staying close to its current design.

There's also the option that case makers, who only have dimensions and sketches to rely on have to do a great amount of guessing about the actual look of the upcoming smartphone and that all we have seen so far are just shots in the dark.

Smart money is certainly on that last explanation, but we can't help but hope that there's more to those leaks. It's just that the curious geeks inside us refuse to settle for anything less.

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CategoryNews || Source www.gsmarena.com

Despite the fact that its flagship packs IP67 certification for dust and water resistance, Samsung hasn't given up on releasing a more element-resistant Active version. It's yet to be seen just how much tougher that version is going to be, but the good news is it's going to match the Galaxy S5 in terms of raw processing power, meaning you won't have to sacrifice anything on that end.

It appears that someone has put the Samsung Galaxy S5 G870A Active through the AnTuTu benchmark and the scorecard reveals quite a lot about the smartphone's internals. Running on Android 4.4.2 the Galaxy S5 Active will be powered by the same Snapdragon 801 chipset as the regular version, complete with 2GB of RAM.

The screen is confirmed to have 1080p resolution and unlike last year the Active and regular Galaxy S5 units will have identical cameras - 16MP at the front and 2MP at the back. The two have also managed to achieve virtually identical performance in the benchmark, but that was to be expected given the identical hardware.

We are hoping that Samsung will make the Galaxy S5 G870A Active soon, but meanwhile it wouldn't hurt if we saw an actual unit photo to get an idea of what the smartphone is going to look like. Last year the rugged version came with a completely different design, so we are curious to find out if it's going to be the same in 2014.

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CategoryNews || Source www.gsmarena.com

The Nokia 1020 is at the center of a new photographic project, dubbed RedBull photography. As the name suggests it involves both RedBull and its photographer Ray Demski and Nokia’s acclaimed 41 MP shooter Lumia 1020.

The photoshoot takes place on location in the Norwegian Alps and makes the Lumia 1020 face vast and bright landscapes and a contrast between golden sun and deep blue ice.

RedBull photographer Ray Demski says he finds the camera great for landscape shots thanks to the resolution and likes the ability to shoot in DNG Raw as it opens up creative possibilities. He’s also fond of the camera grip accessory as it allows for seamless shooting with gloves on.

Check out the full trailer below.

This isn’t the first time the Lumia 1020 has been part of a RedBull photoshoot. It’s also been featured on National Geographic and a number of ads and videos showing you the genius behind the photos.

You can check out the project’s page which will feature new photos as it unfolds.

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CategoryBlog || Source blog.gsmarena.com

The Samsung Galaxy S5 has reportedly shipped 10 million units worldwide in just 25 days. The reports are coming from South Korea. This achievement marks a new record for a Samsung flagship and surpasses the one of the Galaxy S4 from a year ago by two days.

The Galaxy S5 managed to break the opening day sales record of its predecessor as well but it did launch in more countries, which undoubtedly gave it an advantage.

Since the inception of the Galaxy S line each and every model has been a strong performer. In retrospect the Galaxy S4 achieved 10 million shipped units in 27 days of on-shelf time, the Galaxy S III did so in 50 days, the Galaxy S II in 5 months and the Galaxy S in 10 months.

Despite Samsung's impressive growth it's still not quite up there with Apple's numbers - every year the company posts impressive or record breaking first weekend sales - this year 9 million for the iPhone 5s and 5c.

Source (in Korean) | Via

CategoryNews || Source www.gsmarena.com

A report conducted by DisplaySearch states that Samsung was the largest supplier of iPad displays in the first quarter of the year. In spite of the ruthless legal battle between the two companies, Samsung Display shipped 5.2 million 9.7″ iPad display panels.

This accounts for 62% of the total shipment of such displays, which are used in the iPad Air and iPad 4. The other company that is handling the iPad’s display production is LG. It supplied the remaining 38% of the display production in Q1 2014, representing a major drop from the 61% in the previous quarter.

While Apple and Samsung are having tough time in court fighting over patents, both companies seem to be on track to partner with the production of the next-gen Apple A8 chip. Currently, Apple has moved the production of the chip to TMSC, as Samsung has issues with its production line.

All the facts combined might indicate that the two companies are warming their business partnership on a scale preceding the court battles. The outcome from the latest one makes Samsung reach for its wallet for another $119 million.

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CategoryBlog || Source blog.gsmarena.com

Our inside contact that's involved with developing Kid's mode has sent us some more info on Samsung's upcoming devices. Last times it was the S5 Prime and S5 mini, this time it's tablets. We counted three new devices, two of which are the rumored tablets with Super AMOLED screens.

All three come in 3G and Wi-Fi versions. Note that "3G" may refer to 3G + LTE, though LTE model numbers typically end in 5. They all have WQXGA resolution (2,560 x 1,600), but thee different screen sizes.

First up is the Samsung T801/T800 "Chagall", likely to be called Galaxy Tab S. The Super AMOLED screen is listed as 10.x" but from earlier leaks we know it will be 10.5" big. Then there's the Samsung T701/T700 or "Klimt", the 8.x" Super AMOLED model. Again, going on old leaks the exact size will be 8.4".

These two have made the rounds at AnTuTu, which revealed an Exynos 5 chipset with four Cortex-A15 cores (1.9GHz) and four Cortex-A7 cores (1.3GHz). A hexa-core Mali-T628 GPU handles graphics, while a 32-bit dual-channel 933MHz LPDDR3e RAM ensures trouble-free multitasking.

They had 8MP main cameras and 2MP front-facing cameras, fingerprint reader too.

Finally, there's the Samsung T911/T910 "Warhol", a whopping 13.3" tablet. Being a T model means the Warhol is a Tab, likely the new top of the line Galaxy Tab Pro model. Little else is known about it though, but it will run the same software as the Galaxy Tab S models – Android 4.4 KitKat with Samsung's latest customizations.

This one will most likely pack an LCD screen rather than an AMOLED, but will have the same 2,560 x 1,600 pixel resolution.

Special thanks to our tipster, greatnessmakesyougreat!

CategoryNews || Source www.gsmarena.com

The LG G Wear has a new video out today and it shows the watch in its full glory. The video itself doesn’t reveal anything that we didn’t already know but it’s cool enough and keeps the excitement going for the smart wearable’s summer release.

The watch will be available in two colors – stealth black and champagne gold – and its metal body will be water resistant. LG dubs the G watch display as “always-on”, so we’re intrigued to see what really stands behind those words and how would the battery endure.

The watch is rumored to double as the first Google Nexus smartwatch and unconfirmed information suggests it features a 1.65″ 280×280 pixel display, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of on-board memory. It’s among the first devices to run the newly unveiled Android Wear platform. Now check out the promo video.

LG France has confirmed earlier the G Watch would retail in Europe for €199.

Source

CategoryBlog || Source blog.gsmarena.com

LG has officially revealed a trio of new G Pad tablets. The G Pad 7.0, G Pad 8.0 and G Pad 10.1 will debut at the MedPi 2014 trade show in Monaco tomorrow.

The company promises a full list of specifications for the slates then. For now, the company teases that the tablets will feature LG's latest Optimus UI with QPair 2.0 and Knock Code.

The expanding of the G Tab tablet line is to ensure that consumers have all the choice they want when picking up a tablet. "Customers tell us that they want a wider range of devices that offer sizable screens without compromising portability," said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company.

The LG G Tab 8.3 remains a part of the lineup and considering it's also available in a Google Play edition flavor, we wonder if the G Tab 10.1 isn't going to be the base for the Google Nexus 10 refresh everyone has been waiting for. The biggest member of the G Tab family doesn't sport front-facing speakers as the Nexus 10, though.

We'll have a lot more information tomorrow as LG fully uncovers the specifications of the tablets, so stay tuned.

Source

CategoryNews || Source www.gsmarena.com

Botanicula is a puzzle game from the makers of the popular Machinarium. The game was originally released on Steam and won many awards for its visuals and music.

Since then it has made its way to the small screen and is now available on the iPad. We decided to take a look.

Gameplay

Botanicula is a 2D puzzle game about five tree creatures who are trying to save the last seed of their home tree from the evil parasites. They all stick together everywhere they go and each one is different with different abilities. They walk from one branch to another and you move around by tapping on the end of the branch and directing them to move in that direction.

Most of the puzzles in the game involve fetching certain items that are scattered around everywhere. You face other tree creatures along the way, some of which help you in your quest while others are hostile. Some require something else in exchange for their assistance, so then you have to get that instead before you can move forwards.

In some cases, you come across an obstacle that involves the skill of one of the five tree creatures. The game lets you try all of them, with humorous results for all the wrong ones, until you finally find the one suitable for the job.

The game has a lot of puzzles scattered around on every branch, each part of a bigger puzzle that comprises a level. One puzzle even had a little mini-game that you had to play in order to recover an object. The puzzles, in general, are not very hard but in most cases there little to no explanation given so it takes a while to figure out what you are supposed to do.

All of this happens in Botanicula’s charming world. The characters and the environments are full of life. You can touch any object on the screen and see it react. There are creatures hiding in nook and crannies that don’t really add to the gameplay but you can tap and pull on them and watch them move or scamper away. The game unlocks a card for every new creature you see and some creatures need to be brought out by tapping on some of the existing creatures. There is a lot of amusement to be had in poking and prodding everything and the way the creatures react always brings a smile to your face.

Graphics and Sound

When it comes to the audio-visual presentation, Botanicula is right up there with the best in the business. The level design, the characters, the animation, the music, it’s all ridiculously good. The game looks gorgeous and every frame looks like art. The character animations are also superb and really help the characters and the world come to life.

The sound is equally stunning, with the music in particular being stellar. The sound effects are hilarious and as you’ll realize while playing the game, mostly all made by mouth and not by some instrument. Simply imagining someone sitting in front of a mic and making all those sounds is amusing, which makes hearing them in the game all the more entertaining.

Verdict

Ten minutes into Botanicula and it’s not hard to see why the game received so much praise. The art design, the music, the puzzles are all exceptional and you can’t help but smile at everything that the game does.

Rating: 9/10
Pros: Beautiful design, lovely music, excellent puzzles
Cons: Complete lack of tutorial or hint system

Price: $4.99
Download: App Store

This game was reviewed on an iPad Air.

CategoryBlog || Source blog.gsmarena.com

Samsung has been enjoying amazing success with their Galaxy line of handsets rocking Android but they've made it apparent that they plan on launching their own mobile OS: Tizen. Now Tizen isn't exactly well known outside of the more hardcore cell phone fanatic crowd, but the Korean tech giant has already made plans on getting it out there with their newest crop of Galaxy Gear smartwatches.

It looks like wearables aren't the only devices that Samsung plans on using Tizen for, however, as there is word that Sammie will try to get Tizen to build traction in markets outside of Europe and the US: namely India and Russia. The two regions could see Tizen packing Samsung handsets as early as the next few upcoming weeks.

Recently, a Tizen handset was supposed to launch in Japan for the carrier NTT Docomo, however, the deal fell through as NTT deemed that it wasn't the right time for them to do so. Orange in France also got cold feet about releasing Tizen smartphones. Seeing as Tizen isn't exactly getting any love from carriers, it doesn't look like a launch in Europe or the States is going to happen in the near future.

However, countries like Russia and India and other "emerging markets", where low-cost smartphones that don't pimp the most impressive features, may provide a good springboard for Samsung to introduce Tizen to the world.

Russia should be receiving the Tizen phones first and time will tell how the new smartphone OS fares in the region.

Source | Via

CategoryNews || Source www.gsmarena.com

Apple is bringing its 8GB iPhone 5c to India. The 8GB variant was originally released back in March as the lowest cost current-generation iPhone option available.

The 16GB 5c currently retails in the region for 41,900 Rs., and the 8GB version in Europe is presently priced at 50 cheaper than the 16GB, which is the equivalent of 4,100 Rs. This means that the 8GB iPhone 5c could cost less than 35,000 Rs., which would be a huge selling point for Apple in India.

Because of Apple's strong worldwide brand name, it is easy for them to sell their previous generation phones in regions like India and still turn a healthy profit.

CEO Tim Cook even discussed the growth Apple has enjoyed in the Indian market:

"iPhone sales grew by strong double-digits year-over-year, and in India and Vietnam sales more than doubled."

The 8GB iPhone 5c should drop in India in the next few weeks, and expect the low-cost device to start popping up in other emerging markets.

Source

CategoryNews || Source www.gsmarena.com

A few digital renders of the iPhone 6 have surfaced on the internet and supposedly, they are from a supplier that based the images on Apple's official design.

Just by taking a look at the renders however, it is difficult to believe that they are genuine, despite their detail, as there is hardly any Apple branding or other materials associated with the mock-ups; they could have easily been designed by someone with 3D rendering software.

The design of these renders bear a strong resemblance to Apple's current iPod touch design: the curved edges and extremely thin profile scream Apple. These mock-ups also show that the power button has been moved and the volume buttons have been altered and made larger to accommodate a phone with a 4.7" display.

As with the precursor to any iPhone launch, take any and all rumors with a grain of salt.

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CategoryNews || Source www.gsmarena.com

Microsoft will begin officially rolling out Windows Phone 8.1 on June 24th. This should coincide with the launch of the Lumia 930, Nokia's upcoming flagship.

Just like other iterations of Windows Phone software, 8.1 will feature the typical 3 years of software support and updates.

Microsoft will make updates available for the Operating System, including security updates, for a minimum of 36 months after the lifecycle start date. These updates will be incremental, with each update built on the update that preceded it. Customers need to install each update in order to remain supported. The distribution of these incremental updates may be controlled by the mobile operator or the phone manufacturer from which you purchased your phone, and installation will require that your phone have any prior updates. Update availability will also vary by country, region, and hardware capabilities.

Windows Phone 8.1 brings a host of new features and seems primed to make Microsoft's mobile OS a much more intriguing option for consumers.

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CategoryNews || Source www.gsmarena.com

The Windows Phone 8.1 Xbox Music application has received a much needed update.

Perhaps the biggest (and most basic feature) that the update brings is audio scrubbing- that is, the ability to jump to a specific point in a song just by dragging its progress bar.

Previously, you had to keep your finger pressed down on the skip button, giving users a very 90s-esque experience.

Microsoft has included a bunch of other updates as well: from stability and bug fixes, to tweaking how playlists work (some users suffered from playlists duplicating tracks for no reason.)

Here’s the full change long from Microsoft:

“Audio scrubbing is now supported! Slide the track progress indicator in the Now Playing screen to advance to the spot you like.
Smoother FFW and REW animations.
UI fixes to improve visibility of content.
Bug fixed where songs are incorrectly removed from playlists.
Fixes for unexpected app exits.”

Are you going to be more inclined to use the Xbox music app now that these problems have been fixed? Or are you still having issues with the application? Let us know in the comments!

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CategoryBlog || Source blog.gsmarena.com

It's an iPhone 6 leak type of weekend - our inbox was buried with all sorts of tips about Apple's upcoming smartphone.

After getting compared to the iPhone 5s and the Galaxy S5, the iPhone 6 now sits besides the iPod touch. These alleged comparison shots make the design cues the new smartphone model takes from its music player cousin all the more obvious.

Alleged iPhone 6 prototype and iPod touch

Additional iPhone 5s / 6 comparison shots made their way out of China along with dimensions - 138 x 67 x 7mm. That's considerably larger than the 135.3 x 71.9 x 6.1mm we estimated from the earlier leak.

iPhone 6 prototype next to iPhone 5s

Keep in mind that this new iPhone is said to have a 4.7" screen, accounting for the larger size.

Apple security in China seems to have really broken down as an iPhone 6 dummy was photographed all around a city. Note that this could also be an upcoming knockoff of the iPhone 6 (remember the iploxe?).

You can see all photos of the city tour at the Moscoat forum, but these in particular caught our eye. First off, the iPhone 6 gets dunked in water - either because it will be water resistant or because this is a non-working dummy - and then it gets sized up against the iPhone 5s and HTC One (M8).

Alleged iPhone 6 prototype around town and under water

Do notice that this is the black color option with the gold ring home button we saw yesterday.

Thanks to everyone for all the tips!

Source 1 (in French) • Source 2 (in Italian) • Source 3 (in Chinese)

CategoryNews || Source www.gsmarena.com