New rumors state Galaxy S6 will offer wireless charging

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BY Unknown 06:00 0

New rumors state Galaxy S6 will offer wireless charging

The rumors about Samsung's next highly-anticipated flagship phone just keep pouring in. Controversy is at an all-time high and it seems that leaks are starting to contradict themselves more and more. One of the more widely spread opinions on the tech scene is that the Galaxy S6 will keep with current design trends and spout a full-metal unibody.

However this might turn out to be not entirely true as two separate industry sources are now reporting that the Galaxy S6 will come with built-in wireless charging capability. The couple of reports come from DDaily and News 1 Korea and both hint at magnetic induction wireless charging in the smartphone. This is all fine, but magnetic induction can simply not function with an all-metal body. The material is a formidable barrier for electro-magnetic waves, making the whole process all but impossible due to losses and even quite dangerous.

If the Galaxy S6 does indeed come with wireless charging that must mean that its back will not be 100% metal. One option would be for it to have carefully placed plastic inserts, but that seems kind of unlikely. The other variant, which one of the aforementioned sources goes into detail about is that the back will be made of glass, or plastic with a glass effect, which would allow for the charging technology to work properly.

According to other rumors the Galaxy S6 will not offer a removable battery so wireless charging might be there to offer at least some kind of compensation to Samsung fans. But considering a metal unibody along with electro-magnetic charging is only feasible in the way it is achieved with the all-metal HTC One (M8) - with an external charging adapter.

This is definitely a new curve ball in the Galaxy S6 story, leaving even more room for speculation and doubt. And we are bound to get a few more of those before the official launch event on March 1.

Rumor: HTC Petra will be the company’s first wearable, won’t run Android Wear

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BY Unknown 21:22 0

Rumor: HTC Petra will be the company’s first wearable, won’t run Android Wear

HTC has been promising a smart wearable since late 2013 and it finally seems ready to unveil it at this year’s MWC. It will allegedly be called Petra and will not be an Android Wear device. Instead it will run a simple custom OS that supports Android 4.4+ and iOS 7+.

The HTC Petra sounds like a sporty smart band with IP57 and MIL-STD-810G certifications and an included footpad for more accurate step counting.

The wearable will communicate with smartphones over Bluetooth though it should have its own GPS receiver. The screen will be a flexible 1.8″ PMOLED with 160 x 32 resolution. The whole thing will weigh just 23g, but pack enough battery to last three days.

It will come in three sizes and will charge over USB with built-in Pogo pins. All this suggests the wristband will not be removable, which sounds about right for a smartband.

The HTC Petra will launch by the end of March in the USA, allegedly of course. HTC was supposed to bring three wearables to the MWC last year (an exec even confirmed the company is working on one) and we got none so we’re quite skeptical of such rumors.

Note that the image above is an Issey Miyake | Twelve watch, one of twelve favorite objects of Claude Zellweger, an Associate Vice President of Design at HTC, and not an image of the rumored Petra wearable.

Windows 10 RTM will happen in June, rumor says

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BY Unknown 02:43 0

Windows 10 RTM will happen in June, rumor says

According to a new rumor on the matter, Microsoft is targeting June as the month during which Windows 10 will be “released to manufacturing” (RTM). Once it hits RTM, the OS will be finalized, with no additions coming in after that point. The RTM process refers to Microsoft giving the finalized OS bits to its partners – some of which build computers running the software, and others who actually write those Windows DVDs people still apparently buy.

Obviously this is a rumor and nothing more at this point. So it could turn out to be just a figment of someone’s imagination. Even if this info is accurate now, timelines are known to slip when it comes to software, keep that in mind. It would make sense for Microsoft to do things this way, though, as an RTM in June would ensure we’ll see actual devices running Windows 10 being offered for sale in time for the “back to school” season.

Traditionally Microsoft’s Windows releases hit the RTM stage in or around August. But this meant new hardware running the new OS would only be out in October, missing the “back to school” sales. Maybe this time things will be different.

LG denies rumors, will not sue Qualcomm

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BY Unknown 02:31 0

LG denies rumors, will not sue Qualcomm

The Snapdragon 810 has become an endless source of controversy in the smartphone world over the past few months. The purported overheating issues of the chipset lead to an exchange of reports stating that Samsung will abandon the problematic piece of silicon, Qualcomm allegedly responding with a modified version of the SoC for Samsung's use.

This dedicated release in turn fueled rumors, claiming that LG may sue Qualcomm over the matter. LG, however, has been quick to dissipate those rumors - the Korean company reached to us with the following statement.

"Rumors regarding LG taking legal action against Qualcomm are unfounded and a complete fabrication of the facts. Given the source of this rumor, we're surprised it's being taken seriously at all."

As unequivocal as it gets, LG's wording should hopefully put an end to the rumor and confirm the excellent relationship between the two companies.

LG has already announced its curved phablet offering, the G Flex2, featuring the said chipset. The company has denied experiencing any issues with the hardware in the smartphone, which is expected to hit its home market any day now.