MasHD Blog

Project Astoria , a developer bridge tool which allows developers to port Android apps to Windows (phone) has officially been canceled . The tool kit , announced along side Microsoft's Project islandwood (a tool to easily port iOS apps) at Microsoft's 2015 Build conference promised a quick and easy solution to address Windows Phone's app crisis . If it went into effect , Project Astoria would allow developers to re use some of the Android code and optimize it to run on Windows phone , currently Windows phone devices have around 500,000-700,000 apps and many prominent apps are still not available on the platform . Although the move would have address some of the apps to be re packaged , the lack of interest and the complexity in maintaining Project Astoria meant that it was a dead duck since its conception . Although project Astoria is now gone , Project islandwood is still set to continue , this tool would be focusing on a older version of  Object C (Swift??) and it wou...

Sony  - once a dominant force in the mobile space played as the arch nemesis to Nokia back in its heyday ,but once the Sony Ericsson venture collapsed , Sony had difficulty in keeping up with the Jones as their random smartphones were either late in the spec war , or overpriced . With competition getting stiff , Sony could no longer waste money on making Random smartphones with outdated specs , and therefore Sony decided to launch a new flagship series called the Xperia Z . Xperia Z The Original Xperia Z was a first for Sony , it offered water resistance , a premium design with glass and metal and specs that rivaled other handset makers .Up to this point Sony phones were regarded as late for the party , but with the Xperia Z , the tables turned and Sony had a proper recipe in its hands . Xperia Z2 After the release of the Xperia Z and its spin offs (ZL ,ZR and Tablet Z) , Sony released the Xperia Z1 , this phone was launched in a time where "mini...

Zopo - a lesser known Chinese oem has managed to join the flagship smartphone ranks with the Zopo Speed 8 .The phone , based around Mediatek's 16nm Helio X20 Soc and a 21MP camera promises a great Android 6.0 experience at a fraction of the cost of most rival flagship smartphones . The phone ,unlike most flagships ,comes with USB Type C and it also has a enormous 3600 mAh battery ,Although availability outside Asia is unknown , the handset will surely be one of the "worlds firsts" as it has a 10 core Soc thanks to the processor. Display - 5.5" 1080p Design - unibody smartphone ,4G dual sim support Processor - Mediatek Helio X20 Soc , 64Bit 10 core processor Storage(RAM/ROM+Expansion) - 4GB ram , 32GB storage with MicroSD expansion Cameras - 21 MP Sony IMX230 sensor with two tone LED flash ,8MP front OS - Android 6.0 Marshmallow Battery - 3600 mAh non removable Others - 4G , GSMArena

ZTE's new Blade V7 and V7 lite are two mid range handsets launched by the Chinese OEM  . The handsets , powered by Mediatek MT6753 and MT 6735P processors promise a smooth Android 6.0 experience as well as LTE and support for finger print recognition . Pricing for both models are not available yet , but considering that these handsets are priced as mid rangers , expect a price tag of about ~$400 for the flagship model . ZTE Blade V7 Display - 5.2" 1080p IPS LCD Design - Unibody smartphone Processor - Mediatek MT6753 Octa core 64bit  , 1.3Ghz Storage(RAM/ROM+Expansion) - 2GB RAM , 32GB  +MicroSD expansion Cameras - 13MP PDAF (phase detection) sensor with LED flash ,5MP front OS - Android 6.0 Marshmallow Battery - 2500 mAh non removable Others - Fingerprint reader , 4G ZTE Blade V7 Lite Display - 5.0" 720p IPS LCD Design - Unibody smartphone Processor - Mediatek MT6735P Quad core 64bit  , 1.3Ghz Storage(RAM/ROM+Expansion) - 2GB Ram , 16GB storage...

Xiaomi - One of China's biggest handset manuf launched manufacturers have officially launched their new flagship smartphone - the Xiaomi Mi5 . The phone , a successor to the Mi4 launched last year brings flagship specs for a price of most midrange handsets (cough cough ..flagship killer) .The phone brings affordable pricing , a  Snapdragon 820 with 4GB of RAM , a 16MP OIS camera and a ceramic unobody design all for the starting price of $251 (RMB1999) MI 5 SPECS: - Snapdragon 820, up to 4GB RAM + 128GB UFS 2.0 - 600Mbps 4G+ download speeds, VoLTE - 3D ceramic/glass body, weighs 129g - 5.15” 16 LED light display, 3D ceramic/glass body - Front fingerprint sensor - 16MP 4-axis OIS + 2µm-pixel 4MP camera - 3000mAh battery, Quick Charge 3.0 - Full feature NFC - MIUI based on Android Marshmallow Written by Rakitha for MasHD Source - miui

Acer  has just announced two new additions to the Acer Liquid series , the Jade 2 and Zest/Zest 4G bring Android 6.0 and good specs to the table . Acer Liquid Jade 2 Display - 5.5" 1080p AMOLED display , Gorilla Glass Protection Design - Unibody smartphone Processor - Snapdragon 808 Storage(RAM/ROM+Expansion) - 3GB RAM , 32GB storage , MicroSD expansion Cameras - 21 MP rear camera with LED flash , 4K recording , 8MP front camera OS - Android 6.0 Acer Liquid Zest/Zest 4G Display - 5" 1080p IPS LCD display , Gorilla Glass Protection Design - Unibody smartphone Processor - Mediatek MT6580/MT6735(for 4G) Storage(RAM/ROM+Expansion) - 2GB RAM , 32GB storage , MicroSD expansion Cameras - 8 MP rear camera with LED flash , 1080p recording , 5MP front camera OS - Android 6.0 Others - optional 4G GSMarena

Gionee - A famous smartphone OEM from China has officially unveiled the Gionee Elife S8 .The phone , the spiritual successor to the previous Gionee Elife series of smartphones brings Force touch (also known as 3D touch ..cough ,,cough Apple)  ,4GB of Ram ,Android 6.0 and Mediatek's new P10 Soc to the table . Pricing for the units is about $430 Display - 5.5" Amoled display Design - unibody smartphone ,7mm thickness Processor - Mediatek P10 Storage(RAM/ROM+Expansion) - 4GB ,32GB onboard+MicroSD expansion Cameras - 16MP rear , laser autofocus ,LED flash , 8MP front OS - Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Gionee UX Battery - 3000 mAh Androidheadlines

Alcatel unveiled their idol 4 series of smartphone at MWC (today) . The two smartphones are basically successors to the popular Onetouch idol 3 launched last year and this year they are back with a bang (for your buck as well) .The company , owned by TCL has changed a few things around this time and so from now on Alcatel will not be using the "Onetouch" name on its products in order to make things short and sweet . The new smartphones feature a familiar metal and glass design element from last year and it also retains the popular multi orientation functionality we saw last year with the idol 3 (this lets you use the phone even upside down as the whole UI changes as the front firing dual speakers double up as microphones as well (Alcatel has added two rear speakers making the total figure to 4 speakers) . The idol 4 smartphone  retains Alcatel's 13mp rear camera while the 4s has a 16mp one , both feature a 8mp front facing one along with a front facing flash has be...

Freedom 251 , a phone that broke the internet a few days back is still making headlines even today (there was already some controversy about the change of  the phone's placeholder images). The phone , initially priced at a mindblowing $4 (INR 251) is basically aimed to at a audience who like to own a touchscreen smartphone , but has no way to afford it .The phone , launched at a special event was said to tally with the Indian prime ministers vision of "empowering India to the last person, transforming India's growth story" is now turning out to be a major red flag event as the "make in India" smartphone is turning out to be a Chinese iPhone clone from the manufacturer Adcom . The news , which initially popped up after some eagle eyed spotters saw that the units had "Adcom" painted over were published on the internet and it has so far caused a stir with much of India's technology community. Freedom 251 was initially announced with this placeh...

Sony has just announced their new Xperia X series at MWC 2016 .The X series of smartphones are High end midrangers which sit one tier below the Xperia Z lineup .The X series comprises of three smartphones - the Xperia X  Performance , Xperia X and Xperia XA , the Xperia X performance  is the "flagship" product and the XA is sort of the more affordable option with a slightly bigger battery capacity .The X Performance features a beastly Snapdragon 820 , 3GB of RAM ,   the Xperia X and XA feature Android 6.0 ( Same as the performance) and the Xperia X is powered by the flagship spec Snapdragon 650 Soc - A chip that brings ARM's Cortex A72 technology (A72 is the next evolution of ARM's 64 bit design after the A57)  while the Xperia XA is powered by a Mediatek MT6755 Soc (Cortex A53) .The phones also boast of good cameras , the Xperia X Premium features Sony's new 23MP rear sensor and  a 13mp front camera while the X and  XA features a 13MP sony unit ,Sony is ...

Alcatel has unveiled 3 new smartphones under its new Pop 4 lineup , the Pop 4 , Pop 4 Plus and the Pop 4 S focuses on bringing on bringing Android 6.0 to the masses . Alcatel Pop 4  Display - 5" 720p IPS LCD Design -  140.7 x 71.4 x 7.99mm Processor - Snapdragon 210 Quad core Soc , 1.1 Ghz Storage(RAM/ROM+Expansion) - 1GB , 8GB internal , MicroSD card supported Cameras - 8MP rear , 5MP front OS -  Android 6.0 Marshmallow Battery - 2500 mAh Others - LTE Alcatel Pop 4 Plus Display - 5.5" 720p IPS LCD Design - 151 x 77 x 7.99mm Processor -  Snapdragon 210 Quad core Soc , 1.1 Ghz Storage(RAM/ROM+Expansion) - 1.5GB ,16GB internal ,MicroSD card supported Cameras - 8MP rear , 5MP front OS -  Android 6.0 Marshmallow Battery - 2500 mAh Others - LTE Alcatel Pop 4 S Display - 5.5" 1080p IPS LCD Design - 152 x 76.8 x 7.99mm. Processor -  1.5 Ghz   Mediatek MT6755   Octa core Storage(RAM/ROM+Expansion) -...

Lenovo has launched three new tablet for its Tab 3 range , the new Tab 3  7 , 8 and 10 are powered with Android 6.0 Marshmallow and are made to be affordable to anyone with a tight budget .The Tab 3 10 inch is focused for business users while the 7 and 8 inch models cater to just about anyone who wants a tablet for a starting price of $99 Adopted from official press release The TAB3 10 Business retails at $199 (Wi-Fi only), $249 (2GB / LTE) and $299 (3GB / LTE) from June 2016; TAB3 7 retails at $129 from June 2016; and TAB3 8 retails at $99 (Wi-Fi only) and $149 (LTE) from June 2016, available at all Lenovo Retail Partners. Lenovo Tab 7 and 8 specs Display - 7" 1024x600 or 8" 720p IPS display Design - plastic unibody design Processor - Mediatek Quadcore Soc Storage(RAM/ROM+Expansion) - 1GB Ram , 16GB internal +MicroSD expansion Cameras - 5MP rear , 2MP front OS - Android 6.0 Marshmallow Battery - ~5000 mAh Others - Price $99 (wifi only 8") $129(3g 7...

HTC has unveiled three new pocket friendly handsets at MWC 2016 . The handsets , aimed at a young first time buyers are available in a plethora of  candy and patterns , The phones are  said to bring HTC's unique Sense experience as well as Android 6.0 to the masses .Date of  availability of the three handsets are not available at the time of writing . HTC Desire 530  Display - 5.0" 720P SLCD Design - Poly-carbonate unibody Processor - Snapdragon 210 -  1.1GHz Quadcore A7 Adreno 304 GPU Storage(RAM/ROM+Expansion) - 2GB RAM , 16GB Internal storage +MicroSD expansion Cameras - 8mp Rear with Flash , 5MP front OS - Android 6.0 Marshmallow Battery - 2200 mAh non removable Others -  4G ,nano sim , available in Graphite Grey, Solid Stratus White HTC Desire 630 Display - 5.0" 720P SLCD Design - Poly-carbonate unibody Processor - Snapdragon 400 -  1.6 GHz Quadcore A7  Adreno 305 Gpu Storage(RAM/ROM+Expansion) - 2GB RAM , 16...

HP has unveiled a flagship spec Windows 10 Mobile smartphone at MWC 2016 .The phone , like its Lumia 950 counterparts , runs Windows 10 Mobile with Continuum and to do this , you need to have a specialized dock to complete the whole Windows 10 experience .Unlike the somewhat "old" lumia handsets , this has a top of the line Snapdragon 820 under the hood and this is complemented by 4GB of RAM - a spec sheet matched only by the Galaxy S7 and the LG G5 to date . Display on the phone is set at 6" -and it has a 2K resolution .The phone has 64GB of Storage out of the box and it comes with MicroSD expansion as well . The cameras on the unit include a 16mp rear sensor and a 8mp front sensor which is paired with a iris scanner for Windows hello . The phone has a beefy 4150 mAh battery , 4G LTE , B&O audio and a splash resistance coating . Pricing for the phone is still not available , but we are quite sure that it will cost a arm or a leg once it does . Written by Rakith...

HTC is said to launching a global version of its X0 smartphone starting from the end of February . The phone , designed with a metal unibody is powered by Mediatek's top of the line Helios X10 Soc and it has Android 6.0 once it starts shipping . the handset is priced at $370 off contract and for that you get a 2.2 ghz Mediatek Helio X10 processor - a octa core A53 64bit Soc and PowerVR 6 Rogue GPU , 3GB of RAM , 32GB internal storage and a MicroSD expansion slot .The phone has a 13MP rear camera and it has OIS and 4K video recording , up front , you will get a 5MP front facing wide angle lens for selfies or video chats . The phone has a 3000 mAh battery and this ,combined with Android 6.0 will give you a good battery experience thanks to Android 6.0's Doze feature . The handset was already available in China , but it is now setting up for a global launch with Europe , Africa , rest of Asia and the Middle east . Written by Rakitha for MasHD Source - Androidpolice

Samsung has officially launched the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge ,the two handsets , part of the Two handset strategy deployed last year is said to address some of the shortcomings of the S6 and S6 Edge , it is also hoped that this new pair of flagship smartphones will cement Samsung's dominance for another year .Designed to succeed the S6 and S6 edge , the two handsets boast of a new camera module , MicroSD memory expansion as well as a IP68 water and dust rating .The S7 and S7 edge will be Samsung's king devices for 2016 and they will go ahead against competing devices from LG , Sony , HTC , Motorola , Apple and many others . Both devices are said to be available on Pre order starting from the 23rd of February 2016 , Selected countries will have a free Gear VR headset bundled with every pre-order Samsung Galaxy S7 This is the "Regular" model of the flagship handset, sitting one tier below the larger 5.5" S7 edge , the handset is smaller and more poc...