HTC One M8s headed to Europe with 64-bit processor and familiar design

A new version of the HTC One M8 will soon arrive in Europe, powered by a 64-bit processor.

With the HTC One M9 now available in Europe, HTC has taken the wraps off a refreshed version of its predecessor for European markets. The new HTC One M8s brings a familiar curved metal design to the table, along with trademark HTC features like the Duo camera and BoomSound front speakers, only now powered by a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor. That's the same mid-level ARM64 chip powering the company's main mid-ranger, the Desire 820.

Same all-metal design on the outside; new CPU, bigger battery and refreshed camera on the inside.

Other hardware changes from the M8 include a jump up to a 2,840mAh battery, same as the M9, and a 13-megapixel main camera, backed up by the depth-sensing Duo camera. Out of the box it runs Android 5.0 Lollipop alongside HTC's Sense 6 UI — the same software experience you'll find on a fully-updated vanilla M8, but not yet the latest Sense 7 software from the M9.
Elsewhere, the One M8s closely matches the hardware of its forerunner, and it comes in the same three main color options: silver, gold and gunmetal grey. As you can see, it looks pretty much identical to the regular Snapdragon 801-powered M8. From a user experience perspective, though, the main difference should be slightly improved battery life thanks to a more efficient chip and larger cell.
The HTC One M8s will sell for £379.99 in the UK. We'll bring you more on pricing and availability as we get it.

HTC One M8s hardware specifications

Size	146.41 x 70.61 x 9.55mm
Weight	160 grams
CPU	Qualcomm® Snapdragon 615, octa-core 64-bit, 4 x 1.7GHz + 4 x 1.0GHz
Platform	Android 5.0 Lollipop, HTC Sense
Total storage	16GB + microSD up to 128GB
RAM	2GB
Networks	2G/2.5G - GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz 3G – UMTS: 850/900/2100 MHz 4G LTE: FDD: Bands 3,5,7,8,20
SIM	Nano SIM
Sensors	Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Compass, Gyro, Magnetic sensor, Sensor hub
Connectivity	NFC, Bluetooth 4.1, Wifi 802.11ac, 2.4 + 5GHz, DLNA, 3.5mm stereo audio jack, microUSB 2.0 port
Rear camera	13MP Duo Camera, f/2.0, 28mm lens, 1080p video recording
Front camera	5MP, f/2.8, 33.7mm lens, 1080p video recording
Sound	HTC BoomSound
Location	Internal GPS antenna + GLONASS
Battery	Capacity: 2840 mAh Talk time: Up to 23.95 hours for 2G/ 20.25 hours for 3G Standby time: Up to 629 hours for 2G / 753 hours for 3G
Additional features	All metal unibody Quick charging Dot matrix case support

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Microsoft adds new address book and calendar features to Outlook for Android

Microsoft has rolled out an update to Outlook for both Android and iOS. This latest release introduces some new features to improve the People and Calendar experiences.

Outlook has been revamped and is now a full-featured address book, which is about time for those who have opted to rely on Microsoft's app. Instead of a somewhat lightweight view of contacts, this latest version allows you to view unified card entries across all connected accounts. Actions include sending an email, calling said contact, viewing previous conversations and even shared files.

The main contact view is an easier-to-use alphabetical list. And because you're rocking an Android smartphone, Outlook will even pull contacts stored on your handset locally.

 

In case you're connected to an organizational directory and a Global Address List, Outlook now offers such integration. Microsoft makes it easy to allow you to search for contacts using the search bar (selecting "Search Directory"). For the calendar, there's now a useful three-day view when using the app in landscape mode - perfect for those with larger devices who want to see more on-screen.

"We've also delivered other improvements in the Calendar, including support for zero-length meetings, a 'remove from calendar' action for cancelled meetings and an improved calendar day picker when creating and editing meetings."

Here's a quick list of other improvements added in this latest release of Outlook:

• Select all—You can now "select all" to perform bulk operations on messages in a folder (available on iOS, coming soon to Android).
• Undo of bulk actions—Undo now works on bulk operations like delete and archive.
• Empty trash/deleted items folders—You can now permanently delete items from your deleted items folder.
• Localization—Improvements to localization across our 30 languages.
• Accessibility—Improvements on the message list and compose screen.

The company closes the announcement blog post covering this update with news that more features will be added in the coming weeks and months, which will introduce security and management features. Speaking of which, see the link below for more details on Microsoft's plans for Outlook on Android and iOS.

Source: Microsoft

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You can now pre-order the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge and HTC One M9 from Verizon

The latest smartphones from Samsung and HTC are now up for pre-order from Verizon, with all three devices available from April 10

Verizon is offering the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge in all three storage capacities (32, 64 and 128GB) as well as Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum and Pearl White color variants. Here's how much it costs to get either device from Big Red:

	Galaxy S6	Galaxy S6 edge
32GB	2-year contract: $199.99           Verizon Edge (24 months): $24.99/month           Full retail: $599.99	2-year contract: $299.99      Verizon Edge (24 months): $29.16/month      Full retail: $699.99
64GB	2-year contract: $299.99           Verizon Edge (24 months): $29.16/month           Full retail: $699.99	2-year contract: $399.99      Verizon Edge (24 months): $33.33/month      Full retail: $799.99
64GB	2-year contract: $399.99           Verizon Edge (24 months): $33.33/month           Full retail: $799.99	2-year contract: $499.99      Verizon Edge (24 months): $37.49/month      Full retail: $899.99

If you're going with the gold color variant, you'll have to hold out until April 21 for the 32GB model and May 1 for the 64 and 128GB versions. The black and white color options for the 128GB model will also be delayed by one week, and will ship from April 17.

As for the HTC One M9, the device is available in Gunmetal Grey and Silver/Rose Gold color options. Unlike the Galaxy S6, the One M9 is only offered with 32GB internal memory, although there is a microSd card slot if you wish to expand storage further. Monthly prices with Verizon Edge start at $24.99 a month for 24 months, with the two-year contract pricing at $199. If you're looking to buy the handset outright, it'll set you back $599.

 

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Honor 6 Plus launches in the UK on May 1, Amazon pre-orders commence April 6

The Honor 6 Plus will be available throughout the UK starting May 1 for £299.99, with Three being the exclusive tariff partner in the country.

 

 

Pre-orders for the device kick off on Amazon UK from April 6. The Honor 6 Plus features a 5.5-inch full-HD display, octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 925 CPU, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal memory, microSD card slot, dual 8MP cameras at the back, 8MP shooter up front, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 and a massive 3,600mAh battery that is claimed to offer a two-day battery life on a single charge.
The software side of things sees the inclusion of Huawei's Emotion UI 3.0 atop Android 4.4.2 KitKat.

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