T-Mobile drops required down-payment for Samsung Galaxy S9+ on JOD

TmoNews obtained a copy of an internal document that was effective immediate. The memo was dated March 3 and introduced a new pricing structure for the Samsung Galaxy S9+. When pre-orders for the Galaxy S9+ first launched, the phone was available for $120-down and $30 per month on T-Mobile's JUMP! On Demand lease plan for well qualified buyers. T-Mobile is making a change to the pricing and is offering well qualified buyers who upgrade on the lease program to get the phone with no down payment. The memo explains that those who pre-ordered a Galaxy S9+ on March 2 and onwards would be...

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Samsung Galaxy S9 review

It's true what they say - you don't fix what's not broken. And that's what Samsung did for the Galaxy S9 - it didn't change what was already great, it just tweaked specs wherever possible. And it has worked out just fine for them.

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Virtual Viewer MotoMod leaks, looks like a VR headset

Now that we've established that the MotoMod-compatible Moto Z family of smartphones is still alive, let's focus our attention on those mods. Namely, an upcoming one that just leaked. Ladies and gentlemen, here's the Motorola Virtual Viewer MotoMod. It definitely looks like a VR headset. With the single strap it might be a Daydream VR compatible accessory too. What's clear is that you'll insert your Motorola smartphone into it and do VR things. There's a cutout for the phone's camera, so maybe some AR will be allowed too? Theoretically you could get a view of the world outside...

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Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ get their first update with March security fixes

Samsung's Galaxy S9 and S9+ are just starting to arrive in the hands of the first people who pre-ordered them. Yet the Korean company has already put out the first software update for the duo, one that will be waiting for you when you first turn on your brand new S9 or S9+. It's not a huge thing, but it does bring with it the March security fixes, both Google's general ones for Android and Samsung's for its own applications and features. The update is available in Germany at the moment and should make its way to many more markets in the coming days. It comes in at 242MB, and after...

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Mario drifts into Google Maps for a week in celebration of Mario day

Not everyone may know this, but March 10 is an unofficial day started by gamers to celebrate Nintendo's most beloved character, "MAR10". To celebrate this fine occasion, Google will update the Google Maps app for iOS and Android to feature Super Mario driving a Kart. Mario will appear as your location arrow while navigating starting tomorrow. The update is already rolling out though we have not received it just yet. In order to summon Mario, you'll first have to be updated to the latest version of Google Maps. Choose a place or address to navigate to and you'll see a "?" block next...

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Verizon sends out Oreo update to the LG V30, security patches for the G6

LG rolled out the update to Android Oreo for the V30 in its home country of South Korea back in December of last year. And now the new software version is finally headed to handsets purchased from Verizon in the United States. There have been multiple reports today from people already receiving the update, so the rollout seems to be in full swing. After you download the 1.7GB installation file and apply it, your phone will reboot running software version VS99620a. It's Android 8.0, not 8.1, mind you, but the latter should be arriving too at some point in the future. The Oreo update...

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vivo V9 live images leak ahead of its announcement on March 27

It was just yesterday when we found out that vivo is expected to announce the V9 for the Indian market on March 27, and today we're already treated to leaked live images showing the device. The first time we saw the V9 was in a billboard in Indonesia in February, but these pictures give us a much better idea of what to expect, design-wise. The notch is there, even if it's hard to see in the first shots (take a look at the last, blurry one if you're not convinced of the notch's existence). The handset also has a dual rear camera setup, mounted vertically because now that...

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Lenovo says Moto Z family isn't dead, in response to layoff rumors

Yesterday we told you about some rumors that started circulating regarding layoffs at Motorola's Chicago offices. Allegedly the Lenovo-owned company was saying goodbye to 50% of its employees there. In the meantime Lenovo has reached out to let us know that those rumors were false. Here's the full statement we received: In late 2017, Lenovo announced a worldwide resource action that would occur over the next several quarters, and impacting less than two percent of its global workforce. This week's employment reductions are a continuation of that process. We are reducing our Motorola...

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CMR: Xiaomi outsells Samsung in India's richest market in Q4

Xiaomi was the biggest smartphone vendor in India's richest (and second largest) market of Maharashtra during Q4 of 2017. The Chinese maker managed to climb over Samsung to reach a market share of 31.2% (compared to Samsung's 15.3%), lead by the Redmi Note 4's sales. Vivo, Oppo and Lenovo make up the rest of the top 5 vendors during the quarter. It's important to reestablish that the numbers above concern only the Maharashtra state (home to the city of Mumbai) and not the whole of India. The state accounted for 13.7% of smartphone sales in India. Source | Via

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Fortnite Battle Royale coming to mobile, available next week on iOS

Developer Epic Games has announced that their popular title Fortnite is coming to the mobile platform. The version coming to mobile is the 100-player Battle Royale, where you fight against other players to be the last man or last team standing. It will be the exact same version available on desktop and consoles without any gameplay compromises. Epig Games has worked with Sony to enable cross platform multiplayer across PC, Mac, mobile and the PlayStation 4 versions. Starting Monday, iOS users can sign up to receive invites. Soon after some of those who sign up will receive...

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Galaxy Note9 will not have a fingerprint reader under its display, KGI now claims

When Samsung published this patent on fingerprint readers under a display, it seemed like the Galaxy S9 may get one. It didn't, so rumors moved on to the Galaxy Note9. Even the reliable Ming-Chi Kuo from KGI predicted that the 2018 Note will finally pull it off. Then new rumors suggested otherwise. Kuo has changed his stance and now agrees with the rumors. Samsung allegedly canceled this feature because neither the ultrasonic reader (by Qualcomm) nor the optical reader (by Samsung LSI, Synaptics and others) failed to meet the company's technical requirements. Even so, KGI is confident...

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Android users in the US show more loyalty to the OS than iOS users

The most recent study by CIRP confirms that Android is still in the lead when it comes to user loyalty in the US. This has been the case since 2014, although things were pretty close in 2016. Last year, 91% of Americans who replaced their old Android phone went with another Google-powered device. For iOS, 86% of users stuck to the Apple-made OS. Familiarity plays a part - once you get used to an OS, it's easier to stick with it than learn the quirks of another OS. The apps you've purchased from its app store are another anchor - you'll have to buy them again if you...

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Concise Samsung Galaxy S9 promo videos show off the camera

Samsung is back with another batch of promo videos for the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. All three videos are just 45 seconds long and each focuses on a particular highlight of the S9. The first video gives a nod to the stereo speakers, though it is mostly about slow-mo video. It shows how easily you can edit a clip, but shooting the beautiful waterfall is another reminder of the IP68 waterproofing. The second starts off with a quick peek at Split screen mode, but the video's main focus is low-light photography. The Galaxy S9 duo can snap four shots and combine them into one bright,...

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Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ can now be bought from the Microsoft Store

You can now pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ from the Microsoft store and get free shipping starting March 16. The phones ship with the usual Microsoft apps preinstalled - Word, Excel and OneNote - and a few additional ones - Skype and the Microsoft Launcher. Both phones are unlocked. You can pre-order the Galaxy S9 for $719.99 and the Galaxy S9+ for $839.99. These match the official prices and shipping dates for the US. You can compare the US prices and dates with those for India, the UK and Canada.

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Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s will come with wireless charging

We can add wireless charging to the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s' list of improvements over the Mi Mix 2. The feature has been tipped by Xiaomi itself, via its official Weibo account. Xiaomi is yet to release a phone with wireless charging, but hopefully this is a sign of things to come and all of its upcoming flagship devices join the trend. The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 will be announced in Shanghai on March 27. It will have a 5.99-inch display (that will likely sport a notch), a Snapdragon 845 and a dual camera on the back.

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