LG officially announces the G4

Didn't think LG was going to let the competition have all the fun with their flagship launches did you? Today they unveiled their 2015 flagship phone the LG G4. Visually with this flagship LG is taking its well known and well received G3 design and give it subtle tweaks, including design cues from its experimental G Flex Line, to make its own.

As it is a flagship device, it's sporting some pretty impressive specs including an Octa Core Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 808 Processor, a 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS Quantum Display at 1440p and 538ppi, 32GB of internal storage expandable via microSD slot, 3GB RAM, a 16MP F1.8 Aperture camera with Optical image stabilization + a front facing 8MP camera, a 3000mAh removable battery, LTE connectivity and Android 5.1 Lollipop. Colours offered in Canada include Ceramic Metallic Gray and Genuine Leather Black.

Canadian availability is expected in June from Bell, Rogers, TELUS, Videotron and WIND Mobile.

Check out the official press release after the break.

[MWC 2015] Samsung unveils the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge

Not unlike its closest competitors, Samsung one of the, if not the, top Android Manufacturers latest flagship has been subject of rumors and leaks. But today Samsung finally pull the wraps of its 2015 flagship(s) the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge.

Both devices are set to be co-flagships for this year and are putting Samsung new commitment to premium materials and design up front and center. This years iteration of the venerable Galaxy S series sports glass fronts and backs, metal that runs around the devices as well as throughout for rigidity, and of course on the Galaxy S6 Edge the screen will wrap ever around the edges.

Specs for both devices include a 5.1-inch 1440p Super AMOLED display, 3GB of DDR4 RAM, a Samsung Octa Core Exynos 7 SoC, 32/64/128GB of internal storage (gone is the microSD expandability), a 16MP camera, a 2550mAh battery for the S6 and a 2600mAh for the S6 Edge.

Our Friends at Samsung have confirmed to us that the both versions of the S6 will come in Black Sapphire and Pearl White colours will be available April 10, 2015.

Confirmed carries include Rogers, Bell, TELUS, WIND, SaskTel and Videotron.

Check out the press release after the break.

[MWC 2015] HTC unveils the HTC One M9

While the torrent leaks of photos, videos and specs kept the M9 as mobile tech's worse secret, HTC still proudly took the stage today at MWC to unveil their 2015 flagship device in the HTC One M9. While many are quick top point out the more than striking resemblance to the HTC One M8, the M9 takes many of the issues brought up with the M8 and addresses them in this year's iteration.

The three most noticeable hardware changes on the M9 include the shift from the 4MP UltraPixel camera (now relegated to the front facing duties) + Depth Sensor to a more conventional 20.7MP rear facing shooter, the placement of the power button on the side of the device rather than top and finally a "sharpening of the edges to improve grip on a pretty slippery phone.

Under the hood there are some significant improvements with HTC opting for the new Snapdragon 810 Octa Core 4 x 2.0 GHz + 4 x 1.5 GHz SoC, Adreno 430 GPU, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage expandable by micro SD, 1080p 5 inch Super LCD 3 display, a 2840 mAh battery and is running Android 5.0 Lollipop with Sense 7 on top.

The M9 will be available from Bell, Rogers, SaskTel, TELUS, and Videotron

We can't wait till we get our hands on the M9 to try out.

Check out the full press release after the break.

Canadian Motorola Moto G (2013), Moto X (2014), LG G3 and HTC One M7 recieving Android 5.0 Lollipop

Looks like it's Lollipop week as not one or two or three but four devices from three different manufacturers nonetheless have started receiving their upgrade to Android 5.0 Lollipop.

This morning we got word from our friends at LG that the G3 would start getting the upgrade starting today.

“Bringing the new Lollipop Android update to LG G3 users has been a top priority for us,” said Eunice Lee, Brand Manager of Mobile Communications, LG Canada. “LG is committed to providing our customers with the best mobile experience, and the Lollipop upgrade is a key part of that innovative experience. The new Android OS brings a refreshed interface to the LG G3 that complements its existing design and enhances the device’s functionality. We believe that our customers will find great value in the Lollipop upgrade.”

On the side of Motorola, the Moto G (first gen) from Virgin, TELUS, Koodo, Videotron, WIND and the unlocked retail version should all have started receiving the update as of yesterday. The LTE version from Rogers, Fido and Videotron however are not part of this initial rollout.

The Moto X second gen from WIND is also getting a second attempt at a Lollipop upgrade after the last attempt cause some devices to be bricked. No word yet on the original Moto X, as Motorola is stated to be needing more time due to the custom X8 Compute platform SoC used in the original Moto X.

Lastly, one of our readers has informed us (later confirmed by MobileSyrup) that the HTC One M7 has also started start getting it's rollout to Lollipop as well. (Thanks Alex!)

If you're one of the owners of these devices let us know how the update process goes!

This past Friday, Samsung officially made available the Galaxy Note 4 to Canadians. This includes the Charcoal Black and Frost White versions.

Again Specs include a 5.7 inch Quad HD 2560x1440p display, 2.7GHz Snapdragon 805 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage which can be supplimented by 128GB via microSD card, 16MP Camera with Optical Image Stabilization.

Carriers include Rogers, Bell, TELUS, Koodo, WIND Mobile, Videotron and SaskTel with more to be added later as well as major retailers.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 coming to several Canadian October 24th

We gotten word from our friends at Samsung that the much anticipated Galaxy Note 4 will be available in Canada starting October 24th

Samsung has stated that the available colours will be Charcoal Black and Frost White. Spec include a 5.7 inch Quad HD 2560x1440p display, 2.7GHz Snapdragon 805 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage which can be supplimented by 128GB via microSD card, 16MP Camera with Optical Image Stabilization.

Carriers include Rogers, Bell, TELUS, Koodo, WIND Mobile, Videotron and SaskTel with more to be added later.

Check out the full press release after the break.

LG G3 officially arriving in Canada on August 1st

After LG announced its latest flagship handset last month there was little doubt in our mind that it would make its way to Canadian shelves. Yesterday, we got confirmation from our friends at LG that the G3 will in fact be headed to Bell, MTS, Rogers, Sasktel and Videotron on August 1st.

We are a bit surprised to see TELUS not on the list of launch carriers given that the G2 was available to its customers. Here's a refresher of the specs:

• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 801 (up to 2.5GHz Quad-Core)
• Display: 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS (2560 x 1440, 538ppi)
• Memory: 16/32MB eMMC ROM / 2/3GB DDR3 RAM / microSD slot (128GB max)
• Camera: Rear 13.0MP with OIS+ and Laser Auto Focus / Front 2.1MP
• Battery: 3,000mAh (removable)
• Operating System: Android 4.4.2 KitKat
• Size: 146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9mm
• Weight: 149g
• Network: 4G / LTE / HSPA+ 21 Mbps (3G)
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth Smart Ready (Apt-X), NFC, SlimPort, A-GPS/Glonass, USB 2.0
• Colour: Metallic Black, Silk White, Shine Gold, Moon Violet, Burgundy Red
• Other: Smart Keyboard, Smart Notice, Knock CodeTM , Guest Mode, etc.

Check out the Press release after the break.

Android 4.4 KitKat rolling out to Canadian Sony Xperia Z/ZL today

While the Xperia Z and ZL aren't exactly "spring chickens" of the smartphone world, that doesn't mean they should get the same upgrade treatment as other former flagships. With it's 5-inch 1080p display, Snapdragon 600 processor and 2GB of RAM, there is no reason for the either the Z or ZL to be left out of the upgrade to Android 4.4 KitKat and Sony has rectified that situation by finally pushing out an update to the latest version of Android.

If you're an Xperia Z or ZL user on Bell, Rogers, MTS, Mobilicity, Videotron and WIND you should be getting the update starting today. Use the PC companion app to get your update.

Samsung Galaxy S5 now available in Canada

With spring's arrival, the Galaxy S5 is also finally here. Available in Canada and worldwide the S5 is available from numerous Canadian carriers. namely Rogers, Bell, TELUS, WIND, Eastlink, Videotron, Virgin and SaskTel .

With the S5, Samsung refreshes the already familiar and solid offering in the Galaxy S4 with inspiration from the Note 3. Sporting  5.1 inch Full HD 1080p display, 2.5 GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 801, Adreno 330 GPU, 2GB of RAM, 16/32GB of Internal storage expandable by up to 128GB via microSD card, Wifi 802.11 ac with MIMO (2x2), USB 3.0, IP67 Water and Dust Resistance, 16MP Camera with 4K recodring capabilities, Heart Rate Monitor, Fingerprint Scanner Home Button, LTE Cat. 4 Capabilities (150/50mbps), 2800mAh battery and Android 4.4.2.

We're working on getting our hands on a review unit in shortly for a full review.

HTC Desire 601 Android 4.4 KitKat update available for some Canadian carrier coming soon to others

While the Desire 601 isn't the most high end device on the market or even in HTC own lineup of 2013 smartphones, it certainly hasn't been forgotten. According to HTC's software update schedule and corroborated by Rogers' own OS Upgrade Schedule, the Desire 601 on Bell, Fido, Koodo, Rogers and SaskTel should start seeing OTA updates to Android 4.4 KitKat while the Virgin, Videotron and WIND versions are in the final certification stage.

If you have a Desire 601 and are getting the OTA, drop us a line and let us know how it goes.

Videotron and WIND release the Motorola Moto G

If your check out our full review of the Moto G you'll know we came away very impressed by what Motorola was able to put forward despite the penny pinching price of $200. Now the Moto G, in addition to being available from TELUS, Koodo and Virgin, is now avialable from WIND and Videotron.

It does seem however that the AWS version on Videotron and WIND are the 16GB, a major upgrade over the 8GB version we had our hands on.

If you're looking for a no frills smartphone at a hard to beat price, it's now available on WIND and Videotron.

Samsung Galaxy S5, Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit coming to Canada April 11th

With the buzz from MWC waning down, Samsung has announced to Canadians that the Galaxy S5, Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit will be hitting Canadian shelves on April 11th. While we already know that the S5 will be made available from Bell, Eastlink, Fido, Koodo, MTS, Rogers, SaskTel, TELUS, Videotron, Virgin Mobile and WIND Mobile.

Pricing is becoming a bit clearer too as Samsung suggests that princing will start at $229 on select plans. While there is no specific on which carrier we expect it to be in the same ballpark for most carriers on 2 year plans.

Check out the press release after the break.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 getting Android 4.4 KitKat update today

What a fantastic way to start a Monday, if you're a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 owner and have been looking forward to an update to the latest version of Android, today is your day. Users on various Canadian carriers are reporting that they have been receiving their OTA update to KitKat this morning. This comes with a news of the Galaxy S4 getting the update just last week.

We're glad to see yet another big name flagship be brought up to date, if you have a Note 3 let us know how the update goes.

[MWC 2014] Samsung unveils the Galaxy S5

Here is it, after months of rumors and speculations Samsung has finally unveiled the Galaxy S5. As expected Samsung has packed the S5 to the brim with the latest hardware including a 5.1 inch Full HD 1080o display, 2.5 GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 801 (one of the first phones with the Xperia Z2), Adreno 330 GPU, 2GB of RAM, 16/32GB of Internal storage expandable by up to 128GB via microSD card, Wifi 802.11 ac with MIMO (2x2), USB 3.0, IP67 Water and Dust Resistance, 16MP Camera with 4K recodring capabilities, Heart Rate Monitor, Figerprint Scanner Home Button, LTE Cat. 4 Capabilities (150/50mbps), 2800mAh battery and Android 4.4.2.

In terms of the looks, the Galaxy S5 looks very much like the S4 from the front but in the back you see a drastic change as Samsung forgoes the glassy hyperglaze of the S4 and like the Note 3 opts instead for a leather like plastic textured back that is surprisingly reminiscent of the original Nexus 7.

We've also gotten word from our friends at Samsung that the Galaxy S5 will be available in Canada (presumably in April like the rest of the world) from Bell, Eastlink, Fido, Koodo, MTS, Rogers, SaskTel, TELUS, Videotron, Virgin Mobile and WIND Mobile (noticeably absent is Mobilicity).

The Galaxy S5 will come in Black, White, Blue and Gold although we don't think all the colours will be available in Canada at launch. We also expect carrier specific exclusive to be announced later like with the S III and S4.

Check out the full press release and press images after the break.

Google Nexus 5 Review

The Nexus line of smartphones is quite unique in the world of tech. It has the feverish following of thousands of fans, not unlike its chief rival from Apple, and is awaited with bated breath every fall for the past few years. Some get it for the promise of swift updates to the latest versions of Android while others for the undeniable value it presents as an off-contract device. Surprisingly, for many reasons out of our control, this is Android Bugle's first look at a Nexus device but boy did we pick a great one to start off with. This is our full review of the Google Nexus 5.

Leaked Android 4.4 Firmware for Samsung Galaxy S4 surfaces

Looks like the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be joining the Note 3 in the KitKat party soon as SamMobile has gotten their hands on a leaked Android 4.4.2 Test firmware. According to SamMobile, the official update is still about a month or so away, but in their time with the Test Build it seems to be decently stable.

Changes include the translucent KitKat style notification pane with white icons, camera shortcut on the lockscreen, improved benchmark scores and tweaks to the default keyboard.

Of course, given that the Canadian version is slightly different to the I9505 version that this leaked firmware was made for, it won't work on the Canadian version. So I'd advise against installing the ROM.

In any case, good news for S4 owners looking forward to Android 4.4 KitKat.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 getting Android 4.4 KitKat rollout in... Poland!

Samsung has been on a roll as of late by getting Android 4.3 rolled out on the Galaxy Note II, Galaxy S III and Galaxy S4. Now it looks like the Galaxy Note 3 is going to be the first to get Android 4.4 KitKat. While the roll out is limited to Poland for now, this does bode well for not only the Canadian but all Galaxy Note 3's getting an update to the latest version of Android in the very near future.

AnrodiPolice is reporting that so far many of the first noticeable changes are aesthetic, like the status bar closely mirroring stock Android's translucent and White style and the Camera shortcut on the lock screen.Benchmarks also seem to indicate a slight improvement in results despite the Note 3 being an already incredibly fast device.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Review

The third iteration of an established brand is usually the one that signifies its position as leader in its given product segment. We saw it happen with the world-beating Galaxy S III and we are seeing it again with Samsung's co-flagship Galaxy Note 3. We find out if a slightly larger screen, higher octane hardware and improved S Pen functionality are enough to keep Samsung at the top of the "phablet" heap in our review of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

Nexus 5 now available from Rogers, Bell, TELUS, Fido, Virgin, Koodo and Videotron

The LG made Nexus 5 has just started landing in the hands of users this week, but it's about to reach a whole lot more hands in Canada as several Canadian carriers have made the Nexus device available starting today.  Rogers, Bell, TELUS, Fido, Virgin, Koodo and Videotron have all officially launched the Nexus 5.

On the "Big 3", Virgin and Videotron, the Nexus 5 is $99 on 2-year contract, Fido is offering the Nexus 5 for $200 on 2-year deal and Koodo $350 on tab.

We will be getting our hands on a Nexus 5 in the very near future for a full review.

Google Nexus 5 headed to Videotron

The Nexus 5 news just keeps on rolling as Videotron has just announced that the will also be carrying the new Google Nexus flagship device. For now the phone is listed as "coming soon", and has only opened a pre-registration page. Just like WIND, the form only allows users to be notified when the phone is made available to the carrier and isn't a reservation page. We already know that the Nexus 5 will be headed to WIND, as well as Rogers, Bell and TELUS. The more carriers carrying the Nexus 5 should be good for the chances of the Nexus 5 getting more mainstream acceptance.