6.3-inch QHD LeEco LE X920 gets outed in hands-on images

There are many, many China-based firms pumping out flagship-level handsets, but LeEco is seemingly more ambitious than most of its compatriots. The firm set up camp in Silicon Valley earlier this year, and while its flash sale mentality is not something that U.S. consumers are necessarily accustomed to, LeEco is definitely one to watch. Amid the firm's rise to prominence, a very large, very powerful new handset has been leaked in several images and yes, those all-important specs are in tow. 

According to the leakster on Chinese social microblogging network Weibo, the LeEco LE X920 will include a 6.3-inch, quad-HD display touting a resolution of 1440 x 2560. It'll be powered by the Snapdragon 820 processor -- a staple for many of this year's flagship smartphones -- and will include 4 GB of RAM. Storage-wise, the handset is expected to pack 64 GB ROM, with microSD expansion offering even more potential legroom. 

The rear-facing camera looks set to be a 23-megapixel affair complete with dual-tone LED flash, while an 8-megapixel snapper should take care of selfies. the LE X920 may also include a 3400 mAh battery, USB Type-C port and yes -- there will apparently be a 3.5mm jack. On the software front, it's expected that the device will have LeEco's EUI overlay atop Android 6 Marsmallow. 

The leak also indicates a price tag of 1388 Yuan for the metallic-looking device, which works out at around $200. There's no word on whether this model is destined for the United States market or not. If it is, though, prospective Stateside owners can probably expect to pay more than their Chinese counterparts.

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The Motorola Moto M reaches the European market

It was revealed earlier this week that the Moto M will soon be treated to Android 7.0 Nougat, which is a real boost for owners and would-be owners of the device. It's not uncommon for mid-range handsets to be quickly forgotten when it comes to firmware updates, but the global appeal of the Moto M will only be enhanced by such news. In addition to launches in parts of the Asian and Arab world, the Moto M is now being peddled to consumers in Europe. 

The Moto M is available as of today Slovakia at a starting cost of €279 ($290). It is without question that other nations will be drafted in very soon, so if you are based in Europe and the Moto M is on your radar, one suspects that your wait is almost over. For now, it seems the Czech Republic, Russia and Hungary will be among the first along with Slovakia, but the handset could also reach Western parts as well.

The Motorola Moto M includes a MediaTek Helio P15 chipset clocked at 2.2 GHz, with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB storage at base level. There's also a more capable model touting 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of on-board storage, though both variants include microSD expansion capabilities. There is a 16-megapixel main sensor and 8-megapixel front camera, along with a 3050 mAh battery to keep the lights on. On the software front, you get Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box but as aforementioned, Nougat shouldn't be too far away. 

Will you be snapping up the Motorola Moto M as and when it reaches your local stores? Let us know down below. 

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Sony rolls Android 7.0 Nougat out to several Xperia devices

The Android 7.0 Nougat firmware update has just begun trickling out to members of Sony's Xperia range. Specifically, the Xperia X (F5121), Xperia X Dual (F5122) and Xperia X Compact (F5321) are all involved, and the bump pushes the build number to 34.2.A.0.266.

A number of Sony handsets have already gotten Android Nougat including the Xperia X Performance and very recently, the flagship Xperia XZ. Now, it's the turn of the Xperia X, Xperia X Dual and Xperia X Compact, as Sony looks to keep up with plans to have the majority of its line-up Nougat-fied by the close of 2016.

As noted in our review, Nougat adds a slew of new features including a revamped notification system. For the most part, though, the update focuses on refining and expanding upon the great features already present with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and Google has made commendable effort in refining the platform.

The roll-out for the aforementioned smartphones has apparently gone live throughout Australia, Latin America, Middle East, Russia, Turkey, Thailand and Vietnam, though isn't limited to those areas and should broaden its horizons over the coming days.

Have you gotten Android 7.0 Nougat on your Sony Xperia yet? Let us know in the comments how you're getting on with it.

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Forget Super Mario Run, here are 10 great alternatives for Android and iOS that are more fun

Forget about Super Mario Run, there are other platformer games for either iOS and Android that are not only cheaper but also way more fun!

In case you've missed the news, Nintendo's long-anticipated Super Mario Run arrived on iOS yesterday, with the first three levels of the game being free to try and the rest of the game available for $9.99. 

We guess that fans of all things Nintendo are reveling in the auto-runner platformer game set in the beloved Mario universe, but let's face it - while fun for a while, this one is nowhere as good as some other platformer games for iOS and Android that are much more fun. 

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Samsung tipped done with its Note 7 investigation, demands Galaxy S8 secrecy over product leaks to China

There is no second chance to make a first impression, they say, and Samsung Mobile’s head Koh Dong-jin knows this all too well. Given how much the company has riding on the Galaxy S8success, he had demanded a total veil of secrecy over the upcoming spring flagship. 

After all, Samsung has allegedly finished its investigation into the Note 7 demise, tips Korean media, will soon publish the results, and all that will be left for its fans is to look forward to the S8. It turns out that all those leaks and rumors we've been posting for the last few months now, are beginning to sound suspiciously close to the real thing, which ruins the element of surprise, or loads people with overly ambitious expectations.

An email sent yesterday by Mr Koh to the mobile department's employees, reads "I feel deeply regretful to hear news of the recent attempts at data breach and prototype leak. Samsung had a bitter experience due to the leak of important data - on product design and business strategies - to China, and consequently suffered damages in the past."

The sheer fact that we are learning about that eventual email, shows that Mr Koh has a steep hill to climb when it comes to leak prevention still. Moreover, it is kind of late on the "product design" leaks to Chinese makers front, given that the rumors for an "edge-to-edge," "all-glass" Galaxy S8 with souped-up AI assistant might be behind phones like the Xiaomi Mi Mix, or the fresh Honor Magic. 

The new Magic not only has a 5.1" AMOLED display curved to the sides, but its glass sandwich design curved at the top, and the presence of a homebrew virtual assistant on steroids sound suspiciously like what the Galaxy S8 is rumored to be like. Still, we are awaiting the S8 with bated breath, as next year is shaping up to be pretty disruptive in terms of novel phone design ideas at long last.

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Hungry T-Mobile subscribers can't wait for next Tuesday

T-Mobile Tuesdays for this week is over, and it is time for subscribers of the nation's third largest carrier to start thinking about next week's freebies. For December 20th, T-Mobile customers will be gobbling down a free 6-inch Oven Roasted Chicken sub from Subway. Our mouths are watering just thinking about it. In addition, T-Mobile users will receive $25 to use at shoe retailer Zappos. Spend $20 or more from online bulk wholesaler Boxed this coming Tuesday, and T-Mobile subscribers will be able to take $10 off of Pepsico products such as Quaker, Gatorade and Frito-Lay. Shipping is free.

Next Tuesday, T-Mobile subscribers should head over to the carrier's closest retail location near them. There, they can choose from a T-Mobile branded cap or T-Mobile gloves that will work on touchscreen devices. Why should cold weather prevent them from using their phones or tablets? The wireless operator can't guarantee that its subscribers will look as spiffy as John Legere in their T-Mobile branded gear, but it's worth a shot. Supplies are limited, so T-Mobile customers should make it their first errand on Tuesday morning.

The weekly contest includes a grand prize of $8,000 to use at Zappos. This prize comes with a $3,430 check to help pay the tax man. First place winners will get a $200 e-gift card to spend at Zappos (50 will receive this) and a $100 Zappos e-gift card will go to 1,440 second-place finishers.

The great part about T-Mobile Tuesdays if you are a subscriber, is looking forward to whatever the following Tuesday brings.

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Tech executives have "productive" meeting with the President-elect and his family on Wednesday

As expected, some of the most important executives in the tech world managed to make their way to the Trump Tower apartment of President-elect Donald Trump yesterday afternoon to attend a summit. The meeting between Trump and tech executives like Apple CEO Tim Cook, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Alphabet Inc's Larry Page and Eric Schmidt, and Microsoft CEO  Satya Nadella went better than anyone could have dared.  

The meeting took place on the 25th floor of Trump Tower and besides the President-elect, Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump attended as well. The three children sat at the head of the table. Also in attendance was Vice President-elect Mike Pence.

During the campaign, Trump attacked Apple and started a short lived boycott of the company. He complained about Apple producing its devices overseas, which lead Apple to start talks with its manufacturing partners about moving some iPhone production to the states. Apple wasn't the only tech company that the billionaire real estate developer picked on during the campaign. In May, he said that the entire sector was overvalued. "You look at some of these tech stocks that are so, so weak as a concept and a company and they're selling for so much money," Trump told Reuters seven months ago.

And while most of the tech executives supported Hillary Clinton, they did show up on Wednesday. While some expected to get blasted by the billionaire, they were met by a less bombastic Trump who told them that "We're going to make fair trade deals. We're going to make it a lot easier for you to trade across borders." 

Amazon's Bezos, whose Washington Post was one of Trump's biggest media critics, called the meeting " very productive." He added that he "shared the view that the administration should make innovation one of its key pillars, which would create a huge number of jobs across the whole country, in all sectors, not just tech - agriculture, infrastructure, manufacturing -everywhere."

In the presence of reporters, Trump made it clear that the door is always open for these tech leaders to meet with him. "There's nobody like the people in this room, and anything we can do to help this go along we're going to do that for you. You call my people, you call me, it doesn't make any difference. We have no formal chain of command," said the President-elect.

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